Bhubaneswar, Feb 7 (IANS): The representatives of different political parties in the state on Thursday met the 16th Finance Commission and presented separate memorandums demanding more funds for the state.
The 16th Finance Commission led by its chairperson Arvind Panagariya is on a visit to Odisha from February 4 to 7.
“We have submitted a memorandum to the commission on behalf of party president Naveen Patnaik. We have made several demands in the interest of Odisha including the increase in the state’s share from the divisive pool of central tax receipts. We also drew the attention of the commission towards the non-revision of coal royalty which has been pending for years. We also raised our concerns over the green cess,” said senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya.
Acharya also said the BJD party has demanded a special package for the revival of sick industries in Odisha and changes in the ratio of funding for central government schemes to lessen the financial burdens on states.
The senior BJD leader expressed hope that the commission would listen to their demands.
“Our main demand is related to the ratio of state and centre shares in vertical devolution of tax receipts, 60 per cent should go to the state and 40 per cent should remain with the centre. Similarly, in horizontal devolution, the share of a state should be decided on the basis of schedule area and schedule population in a state,” stated former finance minister and Congress leader Panchanan Kanungo.
He also informed the media persons that the Congress party has drawn the commission’s attention towards the protection of Chilika Lake, historical monuments and rivers in Odisha.
A delegation of the ruling BJP also met the 16th Finance Commission and submitted a separate memorandum to the commission.
The party demanded a hike in the state's share in tax devolution, special packages for Tourism and MSME and tribals, increased allocation for disaster management, etc.
Notably, the Odisha government has sought Rs 12,59,148 crore from the 16th Finance Commission for the five-year period from 2026-31, which will help the state in steering the roadmap to ‘Samruddha Odisha by 2036’.
The state government has demanded Rs 9,88,422 crore for Pre-Devolution Revenue Deficit, Rs 1,10,434 crore for state-specific needs, Rs 1,00,036 crore as grant to local bodies, Rs 31,004 for State Disaster Response Fund and Rs 29,252 for the State Disaster Mitigation Fund.