Bhubaneswar: During an interaction with the media on the Union Budget on Friday, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the Centre will not entertain demands for "special category status" from any state. This decision comes as a significant setback to states such as Odisha and Bihar, which have been advocating for such status for several years. In response to a question on whether the Centre will consider Odisha's demand for special category status, the finance minister referred to the 14th Finance Commission's recommendation, which stated that no special status could be given. She cited the examples of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which were considered for the special category status during bifurcation, but clarified that the finance commission's stance is that special status category is no longer available.
