No IIT, No special package,Orissa completely neglected in Budget 2008,Congress led UPA cheated Orissa again.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on 29th Feb. termed the Union Budget as disappointing for Orissa. "There is no special package for Orissa. We expected a special package to bridge the regional imbalances. But no such announcement was made," he said.Launching a scathing attack on the Centre for neglecting the cause of Orissa, Patnaik said IIT seems to have done with political consideration. "There has been no scheme for the welfare of the tribal people," he said. Orissa had earlier demanded an IIT for the State and the Chief Minister wrote a number of letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh. But without conceding to the demands of the Orissa Government, the Centre announced setting up of IITs in Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.
Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadai said no steps had been taken to arrest price rise and inflation. While a certain amount has been sanctioned for the North-East States, no special package was announced for Orissa. "There has been no budgetary provision for Backward Grant Fund. Similarly no steps have been taken to take up developmental works in the Maoist affected region," he said.
Industry Minister BB Harichandan said this Budget was made keeping elections in mind. The Union Government has adopted a stepmotherly attitude towards the State while announcing setting up a number of IITs. "More budgetary provision should have been made to take up road works," he said.
Eminent economist and former MP Trilochan Kanungo said Chidambaram's Budget speech has sent a message that elections are round the corner. The UPA Government has promised El Dorado to woo the electorate. "The higher income States would garner more benefit at the cost of the backward States like Orissa and Bihar," he said.
"Had the Government pursued the right kind of farmer's friendly policy consistently in the past, such a huge loan waiver would not have been resorted to," he said, adding that would only increase the regional imbalances.
BJP MP Dharmendra Pradhan said the Budget had ignored the State's interests. He further said the Finance Minister by not conceding to Orissa and mineral rich States demand for fixation of royalty of mineral resources on ad valorem basis, had ignored the financial interest of the States. BJP State unit president Suresh Pujari also criticised the Budget.