By IANS,
New Delhi : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday reiterated his demand for special status for the since it was one of the poorest in the country.
“Odisha satisfies all criteria of a special category state,” Patnaik said at National Development Council meeting at New Delhi chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He said Odisha had high concentration of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and one is one of the poorest states, the chief minister’s office quoted Patnaik as saying.
Patnaik said Odisha also had adverse socio-economic development indicators and its per capita income was two-third of the national average.
He urged upon the council to re-visit and re-define the criteria for according special category status to Odisha.