Patnaik meets PM to seek special status for Odisha; evasive on alliance

The Chief Minister urged Modi to “recognise the genuine concern of Odisha on submergence and flooding of Malkangiri and to halt the Palavaram project”. Patnaik said the state government has already taken the matter to the Supreme Court. 

After the meeting, he said he hoped he would get a positive response from the Prime Minister to the demands. 

“I certainly hope. The Prime Minister was quite positive to our demands,” he said when asked if Odisha will get a better treatment from the Modi government in comparison to the previous UPA government.

Some party MPs quoted the PM as having said to Patnaik that “India can only grow if states grow”. 

Asked whether his party BJD would ally with NDA, Patnaik was evasive, saying he has not given a thought to it. He added that the issue did not come up during his meeting with Modi.

“We will play a constructive role, a positive role as far as Central government is concerned and we do hope they respond to the just demands of Odisha,” said the Chief Minister who recently was elected for the fourth consecutive time.