BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik will leave for New Delhi on Wednesday on a two-day visit to attend the meeting of the presidents of all political parties which are represented in Parliament.
The meeting, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The meeting is being held to seek views of party presidents on five important subjects, ways to improve the productivity of Parliament, one country-one election, building of a new India in the 75th year of Independence, celebration of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and development of aspirational districts.
Eight districts from Odisha, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, Balangir and Dhenkanal, had been identified and listed as backward by the NITI Aayog.
Apart from these issues, party presidents can also raise other important subjects having national importance.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had supported simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies at the meeting of governing council of Niti Aayog held at New Delhi on June 15.
He had also raised the demand for declaring states vulnerable to frequent natural calamities as ‘Special Focus States’.
The Chief Minister’s stand at the meeting will also reflect on the issues to be raised by the party MPs in the Lok Sabha.
At the first Parliamentary party meeting held at Naveen Nivas here on May 27 after declaration of election results, it was decided that the party MPs will mainly focus on raising three issues in Parliament.
Besides the demand for special category state status for Odisha, the other two issues include more funds for disaster management and 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies.
The Chief Minister had earlier launched a campaign for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and Assembles across the country.