Orissa seeks early central funds for tribal welfare

August 19th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Orissa Wednesday asked the central government to extend the long-term assistance to the state's backward Kalahandi, Bolangir and Koraput (KBK) region. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik met Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and sought approval of an eight-year prospective plan starting from 2009.

August 19th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday requested the central government to set up a National Institute of Design Technology (NID) in the state capital and offered to provide for it necessary infrastructure, including land. Patnaik met union Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma at New Delhi Wednesday and made the request, the chief minister's office said in a press release here.

August 18th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Orissa Tuesday demanded deployment of central paramilitary forces in the national sanctuaries and parks in the state, in view of the growing Maoist menace. "The red extremism is growing in national parks and Sanctuaries in the state.

August 18th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - The Orissa government has asked the centre to enhance its assistance under the police modernisation scheme from Rs.42 crore to Rs.80 crore, official sources here said. Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made the demand Monday in New Delhi while addressing a conference of chief ministers on internal security chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

August 5th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to stop neighbouring state Andhra Pradesh from setting up the controversial Polavaram irrigation project, saying it would submerge many tribal villages in his state. Patnaik, who met the prime minister in New Delhi Tuesday, also opposed the central government's move to accord "national status" to the Indira Sagar Polavaram multipurpose irrigation project, being built on river Godavari at an investment of Rs.10,150 crore.

July 6th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Orissa Chief minister Naveen Patnaik criticized the union budget presented Monday by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha saying that it does not satisfy the needs of the common man. "It is seen that the union budget is broadly continuance of the existing schemes.

June 26th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Orissa Chief Minister Navin Patnaik has said that he will discuss with Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram about the state's needs to check Maoists activities.

June 12th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - The Orissa government has identified 575 acres of land in tribal-dominated Koraput district for setting up of a central university, an official said Friday. The land has been identified near the Koraput railway station, some 499 km from here, a senior official of the state higher education department told IANS.

April 15th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Wednesday blamed the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's government for the communal violence in Orissa last year. 'Clashes took place in the name of religion in Kandhamal and elsewhere and the state government was responsible for spreading disharmony and hatred,' Gandhi told an election rally in Kendrapada town, about 100 km from here.

April 8th, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh Wednesday rejected allegations by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi that the state government had misused funds provided by the central government under various welfare schemes. 'The allegations by the Congress MP Gandhi against Chhattisgarh for misuse of central funds lack facts,' Singh told a press conference at the state's northern city Ambikapur.

March 31st, 2009 RAIPUR - Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was committed to poor people and worked for their welfare, unlike the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance government. Addressing an election rally in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon town, some 75 km from capital Raipur, the young Congress leader said: 'It's (the UPA) the government of poor people and common masses unlike the NDA government that overlooked them'.

March 25th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati kicked off her party's election campaign in Orissa Tuesday amid a gathering of thousands. Addressing a public meeting at Sambalpur town, some 317 km from here, the BSP leader accused the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of ignoring the plight of the poor and downtrodden.

February 26th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - The Bharatiya Janata Party Wednesday suspended one of its members in the Orissa legislative assembly for making 'anti-party' statements. Brundaban Majhi, the legislator from Laikera assembly constituency in Sambalpur district, has been suspended from the party for misconduct, indiscipline and for making anti-party statements, Orissa BJP President Suresh Pujari told IANS.

February 17th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - The Orissa government has sought Rs.15 billion (Rs.1,500 crore) from the central government to tackle the economic slowdown, the government said Wednesday. Orissa Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadei placed the demand with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in the national capital Tuesday.

February 12th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Orissa has been neglected in interim railway budget presented by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad in Parliament Friday, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said here. 'I am disappointed as Orissa has been neglected,' Patnaik told reporters here, adding that only one new express train was proposed to be introduced in the state in 2009-2010.