Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Saturday interacted with the party’s Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members and advised them to raise issues concerning the State’s interests very effectively in the forthcoming Budget Session of Parliament.
Patnaik, who chaired the BJD Parliamentary Party meeting held at the Naveen Niwas here, discussed the strategy of the party for the Budget Session scheduled to commence on January 31.
BJD Lok Sabha member Pinaki Misra said, “The CM advised us to raise some specific issues in the interest of people. We will raise the issue as to how Odisha has been deprived of nearly four lakh Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) houses. This is a great injustice to the State. Besides, we will put forth some other demands which are being chalked out. We will also raise the issue of passing the Women’s Reservation Bill.”
Sources said the BJD is most likely to raise key issues like the demand for Special Category State status to Odisha and inclusion of 169 communities as Scheduled Tribes. It is also likely to press for special assistance for permanent solution to the natural calamities and inclusion of nonviolence in the Preamble of the Constitution.