BJD demands special status for Odisha

On the last day of Budget Session on Thursday, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra demanded for special status category to Odisha saying the state's resilience must be rewarded, not overlooked and the central government must not turn its back on Odisha.

- TDG NETWORK

Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Patra said, "I stand here today not just as a representative of Odisha, but as the voice of a state that has been abandoned by this Union Budget! This is not just neglect—this is an affront to four and a half crore people of Odisha."

He reminded the Upper House that the Odisha BJP in its 2014 election manifesto promised Special Category Status for Odisha.

"Eleven years later, where is that promise? Where is that status? Where is the justice?" Patra asked.