Orissa demands Rs 500 crore per anum for KBK project

Bhubaneswar, Nov 15 (UNI) Orissa Planning and Coordination Minister Padmanav Behera today demanded an allotment of Rs 500 crore Central assistance for the KBK region in the state during the 11th Five year Plan period.

Replying to a government motion, brought by Chief whip Kishore Mohanty on the neglect of KBK region by the Centre, Mr Behera urged the members, cutting across party lines, to move a resolution in the House requesting the Centre to provide Central assistance of Rs 500 crore per annum to the KBK region.

He further said the House should also adopt a resolution to approach the Centre to provide additional Rs 120 crore to the eight backward districts of the KBK region per annum.

Mr Behera alleged that the UPA government had discriminated Orissa by providing special plan assistance of Rs 1000 crore to Bihar besides including 36 of the total 38 districts under the Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF).

He said each of the eight districts of the KBK region included under the BRGF scheme had been deprived of special annual grant of Rs 15 crore. The Centre instead had decided to provide Rs 250 crore grant to the KBK region under the special assistance.

The Minister said the KBK region would receive only Rs 130 crore under the special assistance if the BRGF would be taken into account for the eight KBK districts.

Mr Behera said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had repeatedly appealed to the Prime Minister to enhance the Central assistance for the KBK region to Rs 500 crore per annum but the Centre had kept it to Rs 250 crore which included Rs 120 crore earmarked for the eight districts under the BRGF.

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