By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, February 29, 2020: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday demanded a special economic package for speeding up the infrastructural development of the eastern region.

“Our regions have some of the largest scheduled areas of the country. I reiterate my demand for inclusion of the Ho, Bhumij and Mundari languages in the Eighth Schedule of Constitution,” he said addressing at the 24th Eastern Zonal Council (EZC) meeting held here.

The EZC meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other Ministers from Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

“If a nationwide analysis is done for tele-density, banking density, rail and road density, East Zone would be at the bottom in all these subjects that are in the Union List. There is a need to double the allotments made to this region so that they catch up to the national benchmarks,” Patnaik said adding that this zone contributes maximum to the country’s mineral wealth and is, in turn, manufacturing and energy security of the country.

“The fruits of this wealth should boost the economic growth of the region and its people”, Patnaik remarked.

He once again reiterated his demand that the Centre declare Odisha a ‘Special Focus State’ as it is frequently being ravaged by natural disasters.

“Taking the frequency of natural disasters faced by Odisha into consideration, Vulnerability to Natural Calamity should be taken as a criterion to declare Odisha as a Special Focus State,” Patnaik said seeking an increase in banking, tele-density and coal royalty in the State.

“Royalty on coal has not been revised from 2012. There is an urgent need to revise royalty on coal and also to share the proceeds of clean energy cess with the State Government,” said he.

Patnaik lamented that though the state provides 50-per cent funds and land free of cost in important railway projects, but the projects’ progress has been very slow.