Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Finance Minister, has said that going ahead, no State will be given Special Category Status. Sitharaman decisively dispelled all uncertainties and concerns regarding Odisha’s request for Special Category Status. At a press conference in Bhubaneswar, she stated, “The Finance Commission has stated clearly that no State will be granted special category status. Telangana was a unique case. During the split of Andhra Pradesh, it was given the special category status.In response to claims that the MGNREGS budget allocation to Odisha had been reduced by the Center, Sitharaman stated, “The fund allocation for MGNREGS has not gone down. Because the programme is a demand-driven scheme, we continually raise the allocation as and when the demand increases. Reviewing the last 7-8 budgets reveals that each time, a subsequent revision to the MGNREGS initial allotment is made due to an increase in demand. “Assigning funds to the budget is one thing; monitoring the situation on the ground and adjusting the budget as necessary are quite different things. The most crucial step is to put the plan into action and make sure that the funds are actually used, she added.
In response to whether or not to include the cost of gasoline and diesel in the GST, Sitharaman said, “The GST council will have to take a decision on this. Diesel and petrol are already subject to the GST. Only the prices remain to be decided. We will add it to the GST list as soon as the GST council, which consists of the finance ministers of every state, has decided on the GST rates.
Sitharaman further emphasised that the Center is giving the States 50 years of interest-free loans. Scheduled castes and tribes have received special attention in this year’s budget. According to her, they will profit from the Awas Yojana and Har Ghar Nal programme.
