BHAWANIPATNA: Senior Congress leader Bhakta Das has threatened to launch agitation if the State Government does not set up the office of Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) in the region and an autonomous council for development of KBK districts.
Addressing media persons here on Tuesday, he said like Maharastra which has Mumbai and Nagpur as its capitals, a mini-state capital should be created in Western Odisha.
Besides, a mini secretariat should come up in any of the centrally located districts of the region where an Assembly session should be conducted once in a year.
“There is also a need to set up a special autonomous council like in Gorkhaland for the KBK districts to erase the regional imbalance and initiate development on par with coastal districts.
The State Government cannot ignore the demand for separate Koshal state unless it decides to open the autonomous council for KBK region, a secretariat and WODC office in Western Odisha which is the only way to remove the regional imbalance”, said Das.
Recollecting his agitation in 1991-92 demanding a special development board in Kalahandi under Article 370 of the Constitution to tide over lack of backwardness of the region, Das said it was due to his agitation that the then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao declared the KBK project and Odisha Government formed the WODC.
“However, KBK region still remains neglected as the WODC is not functioning properly”, he alleged.