Bhubaneswar, Feb 7: Finance Minister Pradip Amat has demanded special grants for the eight schemes for which the Union government has withdrawn assistance.
During his meeting with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in a pre-budget exercise in New Delhi on Saturday he demanded funds for the PCPIR cracker complex in Paradip and development of basic infrastructure for encouraging private investment, special scheme for KBK, development funds for backward and LWE areas, repair of National Highways and sufficient funds for maintenance and development and provision of Rs 890 crore for establishing five new medical colleges in the State. Amat, also demanded allowing the states to raise 0.5% loan of total GDP as per the recommendation of 14th finance commission for more investment, more allocations to State, to raise annual professional tax limit from Rs 12,000 and implementation of GST through amendment keeping states’ issues in mind.
The finance Minister urged Jaitley to set up an eastern region industrial corridor by connecting Odisha with Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Kolkata which will enable State’s industrial region to get connected with other places of the country.
He also made a strong pitch for providing financial assistance to the states from the earnings by way levy from coal mines and coal-based industries, proper compensation from Cess collected from power plant and setting up banks in remote areas.
