Ahead of the Rajya Sabha session begining June 27, former Odisha CM and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik on Monday chaired the BJD Parliamentary Party meeting, which was attended by all the nine Rajya Sabha MPs of the party.

Patnaik told the BJD MPs to be the voice of 4.5 crore people of Odisha in Parliament and play the role of a strong Opposition.

“Be the voice of 4.5 crore people of Odisha in the Parliament. We will be a very strong and vibrant opposition and will make the Centre accountable on all issues,” he told the Rajya Sabha MPs.

Patnaik said that several “rightful” demands of Odisha have not been met and the BJD will raise all the issues pertaining to the state’s development.

“We must ensure that those demands are met in right earnest by the Centre,” he directed the MPs.

The extensive meeting of the Parliamentary Party deliberated on the various demands that have been pending for the state of Odisha.

It was decided that the BJD would take up the long-standing demand for Special Category State for Odisha.

“BJD has been fighting for it over the past many years. The State has been facing natural disasters and needs to be accorded Special Category State. In fact, Odisha BJP had also specified it in its election manifesto in 2014 but did not do it,” BJD spokesperson Dr Priyabrata Majhi said in statement.

“National Highways situation in Odisha is bad. Massive delays in NH projects in Odisha and poor NH maintenance. NH projects like Cuttack-Sambalpur National Highway are causing great pain to the people. No work has started on Coastal Highway for the past 10 years. It could have helped the economic development of Odisha but sadly nothing has happened. If the Odisha Capital Region Ring Road near the Odisha Capital city Bhubaneswar had been done, the capital region would have grown more rapidly with it but there is no development in this regard despite our repeated demands,” he informed.

It was also decided that the BJD MPs would raise the demand for completion of all these incomplete National Highway BJD has been demanding to provide for PMAY houses for the last many years.

More than 15 lakh houses were blocked for the past 10 years. It is going to demand to provide at least 20 lakh PMAY houses in first instance to Odisha, the statement read.

Further, Dr Majhi said, the BJD will demand the establishment of Kendriya Vidyalayas in each Block of Odisha as well as establishment of Eklavya Schools in each Block of Odisha which are in the Scheduled Areas as well as in those Blocks which have tribal population.

On health, BJD will demand the establishment of full-fledged AIIMS Hospitals in Sambalpur, Koraput and Balasore (not satellite units) like it has been established in Bhubaneswar addressing the needs of the north, western and southern regions of Odisha.

For the youth, BJD would demand setting up of IT Park, Semiconductor Park, MSME Park, Textiles Park and Industrial Corridor for providing employment to the youth of Odisha. For tribal development, it would demand for inclusion of 162 communities in ST list of Odisha which is pending with Centre. This delay is depriving 162 communities of Odisha from the benefits of STs.

He said the BJD has been demanding for many years but sadly these communities haven’t been added. It would also demand for inclusion of Ho, Mundari, Bhumij, Saora and Kui languages in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution as well as withdrawal of GST on Kendu Leaf. GST is charged at 18% presently and earlier was 5%.

Majhi claimed BJP President Naveen Patnaik had written several times to Centre when he was Chief Minister, for complete withdrawal of GST on Kendu leaves but it hasn’t been done. GST withdrawal would help nearly 10 Lakh Kendu Leaves Workers of the State, 90% of who are women and tribals.

The delayed payments of Fasal Bima to farmers of Odisha due to Centre’s neglect and profiteering by insurance companies is causing great pain to the farmers of Odisha. BJD would demand timely and just payments of Fasal Bima to farmers of the State.

It would further demand for fixing MSP for one quintal of paddy in line with the Swaminathan Commission Committee recommendations.

Though the BJP has promised to give MSP at Rs.3100, but it has failed to implement it so far, he said, adding the BJD would also demand for ensuring availability of Fertilisers for the farmers.

For building better connectivity in the State, BJD would demand ensuring connectivity to all districts of Odisha by Railways and increasing its coverage.

Further, there is a need to establish Brick and Mortar Banks in each GP of Odisha for ensuring financial inclusion of the 4.5 crore people of Odisha. There is also a demand for ensuring 100% coverage of Mobile and Digital Connectivity across all GPs of Odisha. People have to climb trees and mountains for getting connectivity. Their pain is unbearable.

There are several pending demands of State such as demand for increasing coal royalty for Odisha which has not been increased for the past almost 10 years.

This is causing great loss to the people of Odisha who are deprived of their rightful share for using it in their development.

BJD will raise that apart from the demand for approval for all pending irrigation projects including Mahanadi projects inside Odisha.

It would also demand that Ahimsa should be included in the Preamble of the Constitution which was unanimously resolved in the Odisha Legislative Assembly and as proposed by the then CM and BJD President Naveen Patnaik.

It would also demand immediate implementation of 33% reservation for women in the Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies.