Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who holds the Finance portfolio, will present the state budget for 2024-25 fiscal in Odisha Assembly, which has been witnessing adjournments for the last 3 days, at 5 pm on Thursday.
According to sources, the state budget is likely to touch Rs 3 lakh crore, around Rs 50,000 crore more than that projected by the previous BJD government.
Going by Union Budget estimates for 2024-25 FY, Odisha would receive Rs 56,473 crore as its share from central taxes.
On February 8, the previous government had presented vote-on-account of Rs 1.18 lakh crore for the first four months of the 2024-25 fiscal in view of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and estimated that the total budget outlay for the next financial year will be Rs 2.55 lakh crore, which is about 11 per cent more than the annual budget of 2023-24.
According to sources, the BJP government decided on increasing the size of the budget since it will have to make provisions for implementation of several new schemes announced in the party’s election manifesto. A provision of around Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore will have to be made for Subhadra Yojana scheme, which is likely to be launched in Odisha in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday on September 17.
Under this scheme, women beneficiaries will receive a cash voucher of Rs 50,000 which can be encashed over two years.
During the discussion on the motion of thanks on Governor’s address in the Assembly on Wednesday, the CM said that the dream of every woman for financial independence and empowerment will be fulfilled with the implementation of the scheme.
He further asserted that his government is committed to make Odisha number one state in the country by 2036, and the foundation for the same will be laid in the next five years.
While mentioning about a corpus fund of Rs 200 crore, he further claimed that his government has started to establish ‘Odia Asmita’ through enrichment of language, literature, culture and heritage and to bring all-round development through a transparent administration.
On the first day of assuming office, the government has fulfilled four promises – opening the four gates of Lord Jagannath Temple at Puri, establishment of a corpus fund of Rs 500 crore for protection of Srimandir, enhancement of minimum wage of paddy to Rs 3,100 crore per quintal and implementation of Subhadra Yojana, he added
Majhi, during an earlier interaction with media, had said that it will be a ‘people’s budget’ reflecting aspirations of all while helping in building a new Odisha in the coming days. He also mentioned about having received over 12,000 suggestions, which is “six times” more than previous years.
Also Read: Odisha Economic Survey 2023-24: Growth Rate Estimated At 8.5%; Ranks 11th In Per Capita Income
He also targeted that previous BJD government, claiming that not enough attention was given to social and economic development of the state during the last 24 years.
