Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Maji on Friday said the state budget for 2025-26 would be people-friendly, pro-farmer and investment-driven.
Speaking at a pre-budget meeting with economic experts, former finance minister and former secretaries, Majhi said he would present the state budget 2025-26 in the Assembly on February 17 and assured that it would be a people-friendly budget.
Stating that he had considered the suggestions and opinions of the people while preparing the budget, the chief minister, who also hold the Finance portfolio, said they can submit their proposals online, over phone or text message till January 31.
He said while industry and tourism sectors would be given importance, farmers’ interest would also be looked after. For the benefit of the farmers, cold storages, farm equipment and agro industries would be promoted in the budget.
He would focus on port related industries, IT, steel, renewable energy, petrochemical, textiles and semiconductor industries.
The budget would have provisions to increase the revenue with an aim to increase the state GDP. Since investment drives the economic growth, the government would take all possible steps to attract the investors with suitable incentives in agro-based industries, he added.
“We want to reverse the trend of rural people running to urban areas in search of livelihood. We will create enough opportunities for the investors to invest in rural economy so that the trend could be reversed. With the approval of the Cabinet, the government will launch schemes with slogan ‘developed village, developed state’,” he said.
Mahi further said the budget would also give adequate thrust for employment generation. Besides government jobs, the scope in private sector would also be broadened. “As per our poll promise, we have already given government jobs to 20,000 unemployed youths and would fill up 65,000 posts in coming five years,” he added.
