The report of the Regional Imbalance Commission, which had been submitted seven year ago after a four-year-long study, is still under examination of the State Government and yet to be published.
This was known from the information furnished by Planning and Coordination Minister Usha Devi during the recently-concluded State Assembly session in response to a question of BJP MlA Dilip Ray.
According to the information, the State Government had on February 20, 2004 set up a commission headed by Justice SK Mohanty to find out reasons as to why proportionate development is not being effected in bordering and tribal areas compared to the coast belts. The commission has submitted its report on August 6, 2008. Since then a sub-committee has been examining the report, and, hence it has not been published.
The sub-committee has met five times to examine this in these seven years in 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2015. After the sub-committee gives its opinion, the commission report would be presented to the Government for implementation, the Minister said.
Expressing astonishment over the reply, MlA Ray said, “A lot of money had been spent from the State exchequer for investigation and preparation of the regional imbalance report by the multi-member commission on the approval of the State Cabinet. But is disappointing that the report has neither been implemented nor been presented in the Assembly even after seven years,”
He said the Commission has identified over 50 per cent of blocks in bordering and Tribal Sub-Plan areas as backward and made important suggestions for their development.
“This important report should not be suppressed like the former Chief Secretary Sudhanshu Mohan Patnaik-headed Farmer Commission and other probe panel reports,” demanded Ray in a statement.