Naveen insists on increasing paddy MSP to Rs 2930/quintal at inter-state council meet
New Delhi: Participating in the 12th Standing Committee meeting of Inter-State Council (ISC) chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh here Saturday, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik demanded a hike in minimum support price (MSP) for paddy in addition to raising Mahanadi and Polavaram issues.
Patnaik raked up the issue of delay in the constitution of the Mahanadi Tribunal to redress the escalating issue of inter-state river water dispute and urged the Centre to act soon.
Addressing the ISC meeting, attended by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot and Chief Ministers Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh), Vasundhara Raje (Rajasthan) and Manik Sarkar (Tripura), Patnaik urged the standing committee to take immediate steps to check the ongoing unilateral construction works in Chattisgarh and ensure constitution of a proposed Mahanadi Tribunal to end the deadlock in the matter. The Chief Minister also discussed an array of other issues affecting Orissa.
The CM requested the Centre to discontinue the ongoing controversial Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh as it could adversely impact a large number of tribal people in Malkangiri district.
Patnaik also informed the high-profile gathering that despite the recommendations suggested by Orissa government on the Punchhi Commisson report they were not implemented so far and asked the Chairman of the panel and the participants to accept the suggestions after factoring in the responses of the states to strengthen the federal fabric of our nation.
The BJD supremo exhorted the Centre to raise the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy from Rs 1470 per quintal to Rs 2930 to ensure farmers’ welfare as per the suggestions of Orissa government.
The CM raked up the issue of lack of financial institutions in the state, poor telecom connectivity, non-revision of coal royalty, non-payment of clean energy cess to coal bearing states and Central assistance to Left-wing extremism affected areas of the state among others.
Patnaik said Orissa should have the same sharing pattern in Centrally-sponsored schemes at par with North-Eastern and Himalayan states as Orissa has a high percentage of STs/SCs and people below poverty-line.
Nod to 118 suggestions of Punchchi report
The Standing Committee of Inter-State Council (ISC) meeting here Saturday considered 118 recommendations contained in the Punchchi Commission report. Chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the meeting discussed matters related to financial transfers from the Centre to the states, Goods and Services Tax (GST), maintenance of communal harmony, deployment of Central forces, migration issues, police reforms, structure and devolution of functions to local bodies, district planning, special provisions for Fifth and Sixth Schedule areas, criminal justice system and internal security issues. ‘‘The Standing Committee at its meeting considered 118 recommendations contained in Volumes III, IV and V of the Punchchi Commission and finalised its recommendations,” a Home Ministry statement said. Addressing the meeting, Singh said Volumes I and II were discussed during the 11th meeting in April. “The suggestions of standing panel on Punchhi Commission will then be placed before the ISC headed by the Prime Minister,” he said.
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