Three frontal organisations of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD), Biju Mahila Janata Dal and Biju Chhatra Janata Dal, on Monday staged a protest in front of the Raj Bhavan here for the alleged overlooking of the State’s demands in the Union Budget. Party leaders hit out at the Centre for not announcing a special package for the State and financial assistance for the coming Nabakalebar festival and ignoring the backward KBK region whereas it has announced special packages for poll-bound West Bengal and Bihar worth Rs 20,000 crore.
“Odisha’s demands have been completely ignored in the budget,” said BYJD president and Minister Sanjay Dasburma. Such protest meetings will also be held at district headquarters on Tuesday. The Centre has delinked various schemes including Backward Regions Grant Funds (BRGF) from Central assistance. In addition to this, Odisha’s share in tax devolution would come down resulting in a loss of about Rs 4,600 crore over a period of five years, Dasburma added.
later, a delegation led by Dasburma submitted a memorandum to the President through the Governor seeking his intervention for the greater interest of the State. Among others, Panchayati Raj and law Minister Arun Sahu, Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das and Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak participated in the agitation.