At NITI Aayog Governing Council Meet, Naveen Patnaik Pushes for Odisha To Be Granted Special Category Status 

Odisha Chief Minister (CM) Naveen patnaik on Saturday (15 June) raised his demand for the state of Odisha being accorded the Special Category Status (SCS) highlighting the state's vulnerability to natural calamities, reports TheHindu BusinessLine.

Patnaik stressed that natural calamity be included as a criterion for according the SCS to Odisha. He raised the issue at the fifth meeting of the Governing Council of the NITI Aayog which was chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi in Delhi.

Odisha CM further added that as an interim measure, states hit by major natural calamities may be declared as Special Focus States and be granted the benefits of SCS for a specific period.

Explaining the rationale for his demand, Patnaik mentioned the devastation suffered by Odisha as a result of cyclone Fani which had battered 14 districts while killing 64 individuals. According to Patnaik, the state had suffered losses to the tune of Rs 9,336.26 crore.