Live Updates: Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari Presents ‘Paperless’ Odisha Budget In Assembly

Bhubaneswar: Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari has begun presenting the Odisha Budget 2020-21 in the State Assembly.

This is for the first time that Odisha government has switched to digital method to reduce printing of documents for the budget. Any individual can download Odisha Budget, the android-based app developed by the government, and access the digital form of the documents in real time once the finance minister presents the annual budget for 2020-21 financial year.

Odisha is the second state in country to present paperless budget

The minister had earlier claimed that the government had over 700 big trees by deciding to present a paperless budget.

On Tuesday, he was seen reading out his speech from an iPad.

As against Rs 1.39 lakh crore for 2019-20, the total budget amount has been pegged at Rs 1.5 lakh crore, Pujari informed.

Key Highlights

— Agriculture and allied sectors gets maximum allocation in Budget 2020-21, followed by Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department and School and Mass Education Department

— Odisha’s Agriculture Budget has been pegged at Rs 19,408 crore. Rs 150 crore will be allocated to make the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology as a world-class centre of excellence. This announcement follows the surprise visit of 5T Secretary V K Pandian to the varsity on Monday.

— ‘Samruddha Krishi Niti-2020’ proposed to increase income of farmers.

— As per revised estimate of 2019-20, there will be a revenue surplus of Rs 6,175 crore and fiscal deficit is estimated to be at 3.4 per cent of GSDP

— Odisha’s growth rate is expected to be 7-7.5 per cent in FY20-21. Last fiscal, the growth rate was 6.16 per cent compared to national growth rate of 5 per cent.

— The state government has targeted to earn Rs 1 ,24,300 crore revenue in FY20-21.

— ‘Samruddha Krishi Niti-2020’ proposed to increase income of farmers.

— An increase in MLA LAD fund from Rs 1 crore to Rs 3 crore. Rs 2 crore will be provided for overall development, Rs 50 lakh for road construction and the remaining Rs 50 lakh will be utilised for education-related infra development.

— Rs 7,700 crore has been allocated for the health sector. A special centre will be set up in Jharsuguda under the proposed Odisha Cardiac Care Programme in PPP mode. The MCL will provide Rs 75 cr for the project.

—  A whopping Rs 3200 crore has been allocated for disaster management.

— An innovation tower is proposed to be constructed at Bhubaneswar at a cost of Rs 59 crore for growth of IT sector

— Rs 301 crore allocated for sports and youth services that includes Rs 140 crore for sports infrastructure and Rs 91 crore for sports education

— Rs 284 crore will be spent for creation of world class industrial infrastructure

— Odisha government proposes a new directorate Archeology to take up preservation activities of heritage sites in a professional manner.

— An amount of Rs 80 crore has been proposed for Bay Area Development in Shamuka Beach in Puri, which will have world-class infrastructure.

— New scheme proposed under Works Department for development of heritage sites including Samaleswari temple, Hirakud dam and other potential places and old monuments.

— Rs 150 crore earmarked under Ekamra Kshetra Amenities and Monuments Revival Action plan for 2020-21

— An amount of Rs 70 crore has been provided to IPICOL for successful organisation of Make in Odisha Conclave 2020.

— Rs 33 crore allocated for establishment of 24 fast track courts and for 21 temporary fast track courts.

— Rs 400 crore allocated as state share for Khurda Road-Balangir, Jeypore-Malkangiri and Jeypore-Nabarangpur rail line.

— MGNREGA corpus fund enhanced from Rs 300 to Rs 500 crore to provide timely payment to workers.

— Rs 562 crore allocated for Medical colleges

— It is the first state in the country to introduce a document on Climate Budget to provide a brief account of tracking climate public expenditure