Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday left for New Delhi on a four-day visit.
He is scheduled to attend the inter-State Council meeting to be presided over by the Prime Minister on Saturday. On Friday, Patnaik is to meet some Central Ministers to discuss some State-related issues with them. He is expected to return on July 18.
The Inter-State Council meeting is being held after a gap of 10 years.
Apart from economic and social planning of the States, inter-State relations, internal security and other issues would be debated at the meeting.
At the meeting, Patnaik would also raise issues like Chhattisgarh’s attempt for construction of barrage over the Mahanadi, release of pending drought grant and more assistance to the State under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, sources said.
While the Prime Minister is the chairman of the council, Chief Ministers of all the States are its members. This is the 11th meeting of the Inter-State Council, its last meeting having been held in 2006 during the UPA regime.