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Bhubaneswar, May 24: Rejecting allegations over a raw deal to Orissa in the 14th Finance Commission, Union commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman said here Sunday that the state would get `1.12lakh crore of extra funds in next five years. The states’ share has been raised to 42 per cent from 38 per cent, she said.
Addressing the media at the BJP office here, marking one year of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, she said, “The Centre is not neglecting Orissa. They (BJD) can no more blame the Centre without providing factual evidence to that effect. The state is set to get Rs 1, 12, 677crore in the next five years as per the recommendations of the Finance Commission. Orissa would get Rs 8,231crore more this year alone.”
On the ruling BJD’s charge that the state was left out in the industrial corridor project of the Centre, she stressed that Orissa could not be ignored. The Kolkata-Vizag corridor would certainly touch the state. Stating that the government’s focus was on reviving industries and the manufacturing sector, she said the state would not be left out, as about 40 per cent of its GSDP was contributed by the industry sector.
On Posco, cited as the largest FDI proposal, she said, “It is for the state government to decide whether it wants the steel plant or not,” she said.
She also claimed that the state would be the biggest beneficiary of the e-auction of minerals, including coal, and is set to receive an enhanced income of nearly Rs 2lakh crore in the next five years. Besides, the state got the highest-ever allocation of Rs 2,514crore in Rail Budget. An amount of Rs 50crore has been provided by the Centre for the Nabakalebar festival, she said.
She also praised the Chief Minister for asking the Centre to implement the new industry policy soon.
