Congress Leader Navajyoti Patnaik’s Four Suggestions for the Establishment of North Odisha Development Council

By Kalinga Voice Last updated Jul 4, 2024

Establishment of the headquarters of the council in Balasore for administrative convenience
Setting up a corpus fund of Rs 10,000 crore
Allocating an annual expenditure of Rs 3,000 crore for development work
Passing the bill for the North Odisha Development Council in the upcoming assembly session

Bhubaneswar : Congress leader Navajyoti Patnaik welcomes Chief Minister Shri. Mohan Charan Majhi led Government’s decision to form a task force for the establishment of the North Odisha Development Council (NODC). By establishing both North Odisha Development Council and South Odisha Development Council, similar to the Western Odisha Development Council, balanced development across the state can be ensured, accelerating the progress of the backward areas, he said.

North Odisha, rich in mines and other resources, significantly contributes to the state exchequer but remains underdeveloped. The residents of Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Keonjhar districts lack basic facilities such as quality healthcare, education, transportation, drinking water, and electricity services. The absence of industrialization, agriculture and food processing industries, and tourism infrastructure has forced local youth to migrate in search of employment. The formation of the North Odisha Development Council is a crucial step towards mitigating these issues.

For the development of the state’s backward areas, the Western Odisha Development Council was established on November 11, 1998, during the Congress rule. There has been a continuous demand to form the North Odisha Development Council to cover the districts of Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Keonjhar. Congress leader Navajyoti Patnaik has written several letters to former Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik urging the formation of this council, but no progress was made. However, the recent decision by the current government to form a task force for establishing both the North and South Odisha Development Councils is a commendable and welcome move.

To ensure the effective implementation and functioning of the NODC, Navajyoti Patnaik proposes four suggestions: Establishment of the headquarters of the council in Balasore for administrative convenience, Setting up a corpus fund of Rs 10,000 crore, Allocating an annual expenditure of Rs 3,000 crore for development work, Passing the bill for the North Odisha Development Council in the upcoming assembly session.

Additionally, Patnaik demands to ensure that at least 20 per cent of the total state budget expenditure is allocated for the overall development of North Odisha. These measures will build a robust development engine for North Odisha, ensuring the region receives the attention and resources necessary for its growth and prosperity.