Naveen demands Long Term Action Plan (LTAP) for Kandhamal

Seeking extention of the Revised Long Term Action Plan (RLTAP) for poverty-stricken KBK region, the Orissa government on Saturday asked the Centre to formulate a similar plan for development of tribal dominated Kandhamal and Gajapati districts.

The State government had been demanding inclusion of Kandhamal and Gajapati in the RLTAP for KBK region, but none paid any heed to it. Both the NDA and UPA governments at the Centre had ignored the Orissa’s demand, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“The Centre too has responsibilities for development of backward districts,” he said.

The State government on October 1 launched the Biju Kandhamal Yojana and Biju Gajapati Yojana for the two backward districts, he said.

Stating that the State government would spend Rs 1.5 crore every year in each block in the two districts, Mr. Patnaik said the Centre should also formulate some plan for the uplift of the tribal inhabitants of the districts.

The State government said it was forced to implement the Biju KBK Yojana in September, 2006 after the Centre decided not to fund the RLTAP for KBK region the same year.

He said the state’s plan for Kandhamal and Gajapati would be spent on the facilities like electrification, road and drinking water besides some livelihood schemes.