No more ‘special category’ status for states, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman
Bhubaneswar, Fe 18: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday made it clear that there is no proposal to accord Special Category Status to Odisha as demanded by the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
She told a press conference that the Finance Commission has made a recommendation to the Centre saying that no state will be accorded the special status.
Sitharaman was on a visit to Odisha to attend post Budget discussions. She also interacted with industries, traders, charted accountants and other stakeholders.
The special category status was introduced in 1969 to benefit certain backward states having hilly terrains, strategic international borders and economic and infrastructural backwardness.
However, Telangana, the newest state of India, is accorded the status as it was carved out of another state - Andhra Pradesh, Sitharaman said.
Sitharaman's categorical statement that Odisha will not get the special category status is politically significant as the ruling BJD headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been demanding it citing instances of being the most vulnerable state to natural calamities like cyclones.
The state government also cited that since Odisha's population comprises above 22 per cent of people belonging to tribals and has a vast backward area, it required special attention.
Eleven states - Assam, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Uttarakhand and Telangana - have been accorded the special category state status as they share borders with other countries, Odisha lacked that criterion.
Referring to Patnaik's concern over the reduction of budgetary allocation under MGNREGA, the union finance minister said that the provision for the scheme has not been reduced in the budget.
"It is a demand-driven programme and the provision may go up as and when the demand grows. The government also wants to ensure that the fund is well spent," she said.
On BJD's agitation over the reduction of allocation for procurement, Sitharaman said: "We have not at all brought down procurement of paddy or wheat. The quantum of procurement has gone up in the last eight years and due to high MSP, the total amount given to the farmers is also high."
To a question on the expansion of the GST compensation regime, Sitharaman said it has already been extended till 2026.
"And it is extended to pay the loans which were incurred during the pandemic time. Pandemic time loan was taken to pay the states, some amount of the total compensation to be paid. We have to pay the amount borrowed and interest. It is a decision of the Council and not the government," she said.
Sitharaman said that the PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman (PM-VIKAS) Yojana announced in the Union Budget 2023 will greatly benefit the artisans of Odisha.
"All the artisans from Odisha will be greatly benefitted from that scheme. The artisans engaged in paintings, stone sculpture and weaving will be benefitted," she said.
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B'luru: "Least priority, shifted late," says brother of patient who died in Ramaiah hospital fire
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Bengaluru: Hours after a fire broke out at the Critical Care Unit (CCU) of the MS Ramaiah Memorial Hospital on New BEL Road on Thursday, a 34-year-old patient, Sujay Sujathan Panicker, tragically passed away. His family has accused the hospital authorities of negligence, which they claim led to his death.
The fire at Ramaiah Memorial Hospital is believed to have been caused by a short circuit. Initial reports suggested that there were no casualties in the incident.
Sujay, originally from Kollam in Kerala, had been residing in Bengaluru with his family since 2004. He was undergoing treatment for pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), and H1N1 since September 1 at the hospital.
Sujay's wife and father released a video accusing the hospital of negligence. In the video, his wife, Rohini Jayan, alleged that the hospital authorities took no action against those responsible for the fire.
Sujay’s brother, Sujin Sujathan Panicker, speaking to Vartha Bharathi, detailed the family’s ordeal. He said that despite his sister-in-law requesting assistance during the chaos, the hospital staff pushed her away, assuring her that all patients had been safely evacuated to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU). However, Sujin claims that his sister-in-law did not see Sujay being shifted.
He further stated, “Sometime later, when a doctor arrived, she (Rohini) inquired about Sujay. It was only after the doctor questioned the staff that they rushed to evacuate him.”
Sujin added that by the time his brother was evacuated, 50 minutes had already passed since the fire broke out. "He was still inside, while all the other patients were taken out first. He was admitted to the hospital with a respiratory illness, yet he was given the least priority during the chaos. He was the last one to be evacuated."
He also claimed that Rohini had already noticed that Sujay’s condition had deteriorated and believed he had passed away, though the hospital authorities did not officially declare his death.
Sujin further stated that the hospital authorities called him and his father to the board room at the 8th floor of the hospital, where senior executives and doctors who had treated Sujay were present “During the interaction they (hospital authorities) claimed that Sujay was still alive and that his condition had worsened amid the smoke and that his chances of survival were less, which was not true.”
"Despite staff being present to evacuate my brother, they remained negligent. The fire broke out at 1:00 p.m., so why did it take 50 minutes to get him out? He was in a corner bed in the CCU, and it seemed they either overlooked the room or ignored it. Even after repeated requests, it took them 50 minutes to evacuate him," Sujin added.
Sujin also expressed concerns that the hospital authorities might attempt to influence the investigation. "They can influence anyone—any hospital, any report."
At the time of the interview, Sujin stated that neither the government nor the health department had contacted the family.
A complaint has been filed in connection with the incident at the Sadashivanagar police station. "The statements of the family members have been recorded, and an investigation into the matter is underway. An FIR has been lodged under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Section 106 (causing death due to negligence)," said Sadashivanagar police station Sub-Inspector.
Meanwhile, officials from Ramaiah Memorial Hospital were unavailable for comment.
