Bhubaneswar: No special category status will be accorded to Odisha, said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman here on Friday.
The Finance Minister, who is in Bhubaneswar for post Budget discussion, said that special category status will not be granted to any state in future as per the recommendations of the Finance Commission.
Addressing a press conference, Sitharaman said, “The Finance Commission has clearly said that no special category status will be given to any State”.
Telangana was an exception. It was awarded the special category status during the Andhra Pradesh bifurcation, she added.
Notably, the Odisha Government has been demanding special category status for the State which faces massive economic loss due to frequent and massive natural disasters regularly. It sought amendment of the rules of the Special Category Status to ensure Odisha becomes a special category state of India.