Bhubaneswar, Feb 6 (Reporter) The Odisha government has presented a demand of Rs.12,59,148 crore for the state for the five years 2026-31 before the 16th Finance Commission, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on Thursday. Majhi made this statement to the media after discussions with the 16th Finance Commission. Summarizing the state's demands, the Chief Minister stated that they include Rs.9,88,422 crore for meeting the pre-devolution revenue deficit, Rs.1,10,434 crore for state-specific needs, Rs.1,00,036 crore for grants to rural and urban local bodies, Rs.31,004 crore for the State Disaster Management Fund, and Rs.29,252 crore for the State Disaster Relief Fund. Majhi said, "We have had constructive discussions with the Commission on various financial aspects of the state." He added that the demands have been presented based on the developmental needs of the state, its financial capacity, and the proposed financial devolution mechanism. “We have also submitted a written representation in the form of a memorandum to the Commission, covering all the financial aspects and needs of the state,” the Chief Minister said. Majhi expressed hope that the Commission would consider their representation favorably. Elaborating on the basis of the state's major demands, he said that currently, 41 percent of the Central Government's tax revenue is distributed among the states, but Odisha has requested that this share be increased to 50 percent. Currently, Odisha receives 4.528 percent of the Central Government’s tax revenue based on a fixed formula. However, Majhi stated that the state has demanded an increase in its share to 4.964 percent. For the period 2026-31, the 16th Finance Commission has proposed allocating 2 percent of the Gross Revenue Receipt estimated by the Centre as a grant to rural and urban local bodies. The Chief Minister stated that this would enable Odisha’s rural and urban local bodies to receive more financial assistance from the Central Government. At present, the Central Government bears 75 percent of the annual grant for the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), while the remaining 25 percent is borne by the state government. Majhi stated that Odisha has requested the Central Government to bear 100 percent of the annual SDRF grant. Additionally, the Chief Minister informed that a proposal has been submitted to the Commission recommending grants for specific purposes such as healthcare, water supply and sanitation, and old-age security. It is worth noting that the 16th Finance Commission, chaired by Dr. Arvind Panagariya, is visiting Odisha from February 4 to 7. On Thursday, the Chief Minister held detailed discussions with the Finance Commission Chairman and other members regarding the state’s goals, financial needs, and other relevant issues. Along with the Chief Minister, the meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, State Finance Secretary Shaswat Mishra, as well as officials from the Finance Department and heads of various administrative departments of the state...////...