Naveen assures PM to be active partner in development , demands greater flexibility to States
By B.Maharana
08 Feb ,New Delhi
Participating in the first Governing meeting of NITI Ayog in New Delhi Sunday Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik assured the Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Odisha would actively partner in the implementation of programmes of national priority like Make in India, Skill India, Digital India, Housing for All and Smart Cities etc.
However Patnaik demanded that the Central Government must provide greater flexibility to the States to design and implement programmes suited to their specific needs within the broad development objectives set at the national level.
Chief Minister expressed his serious concerns at the arbitrary cuts being effected by Union Government under the existing Central schemes such as the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), which he stated. results in incomplete projects and time and cost overruns.
He highlighted that non-availability of funds for irrigation, rural roads and railway projects is retarding the progress of various infrastructure projects in the State. He shared that the State is taking the required steps to remove any obstacles in the
implementation of infrastructure projects such as forest clearances and land acquisition etc for ensuring their early completion.
Stating that that Odisha used to face natural disasters every alternate year with huge adverse impact on the resources of the State , Patnaik said , “ this fact must be factored in by the new dispensation while deciding on the allocation of resources to the State”.
He expressed his disappointment with some provisions of the recent Ordinance of MMDR Act such as the provision of deemed extension under Section 8A which restricts the number of leases that can come up for auction during the next five years.
Patnaik demanded that no extension should be given to mining leases that have completed 50 years which may be settled afresh through auction and urged for imposition of green tax to compensate for pollution caused by mining in Odisha.
Expressing his dissatisfaction that both the Vishakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor and Eastern India Amritsar-Kolkata Corridor have bypassed Odisha , Patnaik pressed for extension of Vishakhapatnam-Chennai Corridor till Balasore, at the earliest.
Pointing out that Odisha accords top priority to provide pucca houses to all those with kucha houses in the rural areas which would entail a huge cost of Rs.30,000 crore over the next five years , Chief Minister urged the Prime Minister that Central government should share to meet to meet at least 75% of the cost of the project meant for poor.
Chief Minister Patnaik expressed that the meetings of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog and the consultations therein would strengthen cooperative federalism. He, however, observed that the Governing Council meetings must be preceded by official level meetings for ensuring that the major concerns of the States are duly captured in the agenda for the meetings. “This mechanism would help the Governing Council to take better informed decisions, he said.