The Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) national spokesperson ,Dr Sasmit Patra, on Thursday slammed the Union Budget 2025, calling it an affront to 4.5 crore people of Odisha and raised the issue of Special Category Status for the state.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha during during a discussion on Union Budget 2025, the BJD leader accused the Central government of abandoning Odisha.“This is not just neglect—this is an affront to four and half crore people of Odisha!” he thundere.
Reminding the House about Odisha BJP’s promise of a Special Category Status for the state in 2014 election manifesto, Dr Patra said that BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has been demanding this for the last two decades but the same has not been granted yet.
“The four- and a- half crore people of Odisha are hopeful that the state will be provided Special Category Status but it hasn’t happened so far in this Budget,” he said. In fact, the BJD leader further highlighted state’s economic importance as well as its struggles with natural disasters, expressing his frustration over Delhi’s refusal to “recognize our pain”.
“Odisha is the economic backbone of this nation—our coal, our iron ore, our minerals fuel India’s progress—yet when Odisha asks for its fair share, this government turns its back! We suffer cyclones and natural disasters—year after year—yet Delhi refuses to recognize our pain!,” he charged.
He said that the Union Budget 2025 favoured some, ignored others and treated Odisha like an afterthought.“This Budget showers favours on some, ignores others, and treats Odisha like an afterthought! Is Odisha only good enough to extract mines, minerals, coal and wealth from, but not worthy of support for special category state status?” he asked.