The Samajwadi Party State Committee on Friday urged Governor Dr SC Jamir to take up its various demands with the Union Government at the earliest while alleging that the NDA Government has once again neglected Odisha in both General and Railway Budgets.
In a memorandum submitted to the Governor, party’s State president Rabi Behera demanded that the Centre give a special package of Rs5,000 crore for Odisha so that loss of assistances based on 14th Finance Commission recommendations and for closure of eight Centrally sponsored projects and 33 per cent grant cuts in other projects can be compensated.
Besides, he demanded that the Hudhud assistance of Rs776 crore recommended by the Pradeep Bhattacharya Committee be provided to Odisha from the NDRF soon.
This apart, Behera urged that the Centre should give Rs1,000 crore for the celebration of Biju Patnaik birth centenary and introduce a superfast train named under the name ‘Biju Centenary Train’ from Puri to New Delhi via-Sambalpur from current year in honour of BijuBabu.