The Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) has sparked off demands for similar regional councils in various parts of the state. The latest on this front is the clamour for a Special Development Commission (SDC) for Kandhmal, arguably one of the poorest districts in the country with 82 per cent of its populace living below the poverty line. The demand for the SDC for tribal-dominated Kandhmal, famous for its turmeric and assorted spices the world over, has reportedly been raised among others by Phulbani's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Lok Sabha member Sugrib Singh. He has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh explaining the need for such a body to ensure the development of the backward region. The MP said that unless the Centre paid special attention to the development of the district, the condition of the indigenous tribals was unlikely to improve.