Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], March 23 (ANI): Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Amar Patnaik on Sunday urged the central government to engage in extensive discussions with all parties before making any decisions on delimitation after attending the Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting on delimitation called by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Patnaik’s concerns stem from the potential impact of population-based delimitation on Odisha, which could lead to a loss of both Assembly and Parliamentary seats.
The BJD delegation returned to Odisha. Speaking on the issue, Patnaik said, “If population is the only criterion, Odisha will lose both Assembly and Parliamentary seats. The central government must hold detailed discussions and consultations with all parties before making a decision.”
Odisha’s decadal growth has consistently declined, and the state has made significant strides in population control and financial performance. However, Patnaik argues that population should not be the sole criterion for delimitation, emphasizing the need to consider other factors.
“Odisha’s decadal growth has consistently declined, yet we excel in both population control and financial performance. Population is a factor in financial devolution, but it shouldn’t be the sole criterion. There’s a compelling case for looking beyond numbers. This issue deeply impacts Odisha and its people, which matters more to Naveen Babu than anything else,” he added.
A Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting was held on Saturday, attended by various political leaders, including Chief Ministers from several states. The JAC passed a resolution expressing concern over the Union government’s lack of transparency and clarity on delimitation.
The committee demanded transparency and urged the central government to extend the freeze on Parliamentary constituencies based on the 1971 Census Population for another 25 years.
“Any delimitation exercise carried out by the Union Government to improve the content and character of democracy should be carried out transparently, enabling political parties of all the States, State Governments, and other stakeholders to deliberate, discuss, and contribute to it,” the resolution passed by JAC read.
The meeting was attended by various political leaders, including Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das, and Biju Janata Dal leader Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, among others.
“Given the fact that the legislative intent behind the 42nd, 84th and 87th Constitutional amendments was to protect/incentivise States which have implemented population control measures effectively and the goal of national population stabilisation has not yet been achieved, the freeze on Parliamentary constituencies based on 1971 Census Population, should be extended by another 25 years,” it added.
The JAC led by Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin urged the central government to “not penalise” the states which have effectively implemented the population control program.
Earlier on Thursday, DMK MPs Kanimozhi, T Siva, along with party MPs, held a protest on the issue of delimitation, in Parliament House premises. (ANI)
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