Odisha CM presents Rs 3.10 lakh crore Budget in Odisha Assembly, announces major welfare and infrastructure schemes
Bhubaneswar(By Abhishek Mohanty): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday presented a Rs 3.10 lakh crore Budget in the State Assembly, marking a 6.9 per cent increase over the previous financial year.
The Chief Minister announced the Kanya Sumangala Scheme, aimed at supporting economically disadvantaged girls in pursuing higher education.
Under the scheme, a savings instrument of Rs 20,000 will be created in the name of each eligible girl, and Rs 1,01,000 will be provided upon completion of graduation.
The state government has allocated Rs 10,145 crore for the Subhadra Scheme, which is expected to benefit more than one crore women across the State. Additionally, Rs 12 crore has been earmarked for the Chief Minister Kanya Bibaha Yojana.
River Rejuvenation and Irrigation Push
A major highlight of the Budget is the launch of the ‘Chilika Rejuvenation’ scheme, with an allocation of Rs 800 crore to address geomorphological instability and restore the ecosystem of Chilika Lake.
Further, Rs 80 crore has been allocated for protection and tourism development along the banks of the Mahanadi River, while Rs 100 crore has been set aside for restoring old and damaged irrigation infrastructure.
Flood management will receive Rs 350 crore, alongside Rs 1,000 crore for the In-Stream Storage Structure Programme and Rs 180 crore for the Nabakrushna Choudhury Irrigation Development Scheme.
The Chief Minister Adibandh Scheme has been allocated Rs 280 crore, and Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for the river rejuvenation programme ‘Sanjeevani’.
The government has set a water irrigation target covering 3.33 lakh hectares of land, with an additional 15,000 hectares to be brought under irrigation by 2029.
Infrastructure and Institutional Expansion
The Budget includes plans for the construction of a new government building in Bhubaneswar, along with a people’s shelter building for visiting guests. A new State Legislative Assembly complex and Secretariat building will also be established. Additionally, a global museum and the Odisha Pavilion Convention Center are set to come up in the capital city.
In the education sector, four new universities will be set up in district headquarters at Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, and Jharsuguda. Two new campuses will be constructed in Sambalpur and Brahmapur at a cost of Rs 278 crore, and two government engineering colleges will be established in Paradip and Balangir.
Seven world-class skilling centres are planned by 2047, with five to be established by 2036.
Burn units will also be set up at medical colleges in Puri, Burla, Koraput, and Brahmapur, as well as at the Capital Hospital.
Economic Outlook
The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has been estimated at Rs 11.07 lakh crore, with a growth target of 12 per cent set for the upcoming period.
An amount of Rs 23,182 crore has been allocated for the Health and Family Welfare Department.
Rs 17,737 crore has been allocated for program expenditures.
Health expenditure accounts for 7.5% of the total budget.
Rs 1,000 crore has been allocated for the Shree Jagannath Museum and Library Centre. Additionally, an online digital hundi named ‘Samarpan’ has been introduced for the Shree Jagannath Temple.
Besides, Rs 5 crore has been proposed for the inventory and counting of the Ratna Bhandar.
The Chief Minister stated that no one will be left out of the elderly or widow pension schemes.
Under the 'Madhubabu Pension Scheme', all eligible individuals will be included. There will be no further requirements for filling vacant spots for eligible beneficiaries.
More than 6 lakh deserving individuals will now receive pensions.
The CM said that the previous government had carried out unjust practices.
