BHUBANESWAR: The BJD has revived its old demand of special category state status to Orissa. A resolution to this effect was passed at the extended State executive meeting of the reorganised Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) here on Tuesday. The meeting, presided over by BYJD president Sanjay Dasburma, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. A backward State like Orissa needs 90 per cent grant and 10 per cent loan assistance from the Centre as is the case for other special category states, the resolution said.Centre has ignored this demand for long on the ground that Orissa is not a border state, it added. The BYJD has resolved to launch an agitation across the State if the bill envisaging one-third reservation for women in assemblies and Parliament is not passed in the next session of Parliament, announced Sanjay Dasburma. Referring to 50 per cent reservation for women in all the elected panchayat bodies in Orissa, Dasburma said the Chief Minister had also proposed reservation for women in assemblies and Parliament. Criticising the Centre for neglecting Orissa in railways, the BYJD announced that it would continue to fight for securing the rights of the State. The Centre ignored the demand of Orissa by delaying increase of rate of royalty on minerals, it said and demanded that royalty should be enhanced to 20 per cent from 10 per cent on ad valorem basis. Issues relating to the neglect of tribals in the KBK region by the Centre, spiralling prices of essential commodities, rise in the prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and kerosene, the number of scams including 2G spectrum and CWG which have come to the fore during UPA-II were discussed. The BYJD condemned the unilateral move to extend the boundary of the Kolkata port and described it as yet another instance of the Central neglect towards the State. Dasburma announced that the BYJD would organise a massive rally in Delhi during the winter session of Parliament to protest the step-motherly attitude of Centre towards Orissa. BYJD announced that committees would be formed at the district, block, urban local bodies and gram panchayat levels to strengthen the organisation. Besides, workshops will be organised in all the districts to intensify the ‘Orissa Banchao’ movement. Addressing the meeting, Naveen called upon the BYJD members to fight against Central apathy. He said the State Government wants to raise revenue through industrialisation and create employment opportunities for youth but the Centre has not cooperated as expected. Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra, senior ministers AU Singhdeo, Prafulla Chandra Ghadei, Surjya Narayan Patro, Debi Prasad Mishra and others attended.
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