Orissa wants more districts in special scheme

BHUBANESWAR - Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday demanded that five more districts hit by Maoist violence be included in a special infrastructure development scheme.

Patnaik made the demand during the meeting of the chief ministers of seven states affected by left wing extremism chaired by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, a statement here said.

He demanded the inclusion of Koraput, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Kandhamal in the existing approved list of 34 districts of Planning Commission, for intensive development under special infrastructure scheme (SIS).

The inclusion is addition to the five districts of the state — Sambalpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Malkangiri and Deogarh — covered under the scheme, it said.