BJD wants more say for states to deal with lockdown issues

BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Wednesday urged the Centre to give states more say in dealing with lockdown issues like allowing inter-state movement of trains and operating domestic flights. The party feels this will enable the states to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in an effective manner.
The issue was raised by Pinaki Mishra, BJD’s leader in Lok Sabha, as well as others during a video-conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Covid-19 situation.
“The lockdown may not be lifted at one go on April 14, although a clearer picture will emerge when the Prime Minister holds a video-conference with all chief ministers on April 11,” Mishra told TOI from New Delhi.
“On behalf of our party, I said the states should have the leeway to decide whether they want to allow inter-state train or flight movement immediately or in a staggered manner,” the BJD leader added.
The party also demanded that the Centre should immediately release funds to the states under the various centrally sponsored schemes, especially Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) that helps in creating jobs in rural areas. There are around 36 lakh active job-card holders in Odisha under the rural job scheme.
“Under MGNREGA, the state government is expected to get Rs 551 crore under labour component and Rs 251 crore under material component from the Centre, which is part of the first instalment,” said a state panchayati raj department source.
With the Centre yet to release GST compensation to the states since December, Mishra demanded that the amount should be released immediately. He also asked the Centre should consider the state’s demand to revise coal royalty to financially empower the states to fight Covid-19. Revision of coal royalty has been a long-standing demand of the Odisha government.
The BJD also raised objection to the Centre’s recent decision to suspend the Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund for two years. During the video-conference, Mishra said the amount for MPLAD should be deposited in the chief minister’s relief fund.
“We get the MPLAD because we are elected by the states. So, rather than putting the amount in a consolidated fund of the country, it should be deposited in the state kitty so that states will get additional resources to fight the pandemic,” the Puri MP said.
MPs get Rs 5 crore per annum under the MPLAD scheme. Odisha has 21 MPs in Lok Sabha and 10 in Rajya Sabha.
Stating that the large economies of the world are spending around 10 per cent of their GDP in the fighting against the Covid-19, Mishra said the package announced by the Centre is too small. “We have decided to spend only Rs 2 lakh crore which includes a pro-poor financial package of Rs 1.7 lakh crore. We should spend around Rs 15 to Rs 20 lakh crore in fighting the pandemic. Time has come to breach the fiscal deficit barrier,” Mishra said.
The BJD leader, also a senior Supreme Court lawyer, highlighted the need for refinancing sectors like MSME, airline industries, hospitality and real estate industries.