Bhubaneswar: Affirming his government’s emphasis on participatory governance, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday held pre-budget consultation with over 50 experts from diverse fields, and stated that the 2026-27 state budget will be shaped by public input to reflect the aspirations of the people.
Stating that his government believes the voice of the people to be the voice of God, the Chief Minister said public opinion is now playing a central role in shaping policies, schemes and budgetary priorities.
Addressing the consultation meeting in Bhubaneswar, Majhi said the process of preparing the state budget has moved beyond the Secretariat and directly reached the people, whose opinion now play a key role in shaping policies and budgetary priorities in the state.
The CM appealed to experts, civil society representatives and delegates from various sectors to offer thoughtful inputs on government programmes and announcements.
“Ours is a people’s government. The voice of the people is the voice of God,” Majhi stated, adding that all suggestions received would be analysed and incorporated to make the budget a ‘people’s budget’ in the real sense, prioritising the welfare of Odisha’s residents.
Citing examples of public participation influencing governance, the CM said the recently launched Chief Minister’s Kanya Bibaha Yojana was formulated based on public opinion. He added that proposed initiatives such as the Jagannath Darshan programme and the Cuttack–Bhubaneswar–Paradip–Puri Economic Corridor have also originated from suggestions received from the people. Necessary modifications in policies and schemes, he said, are continuously being made in response to public feedback.
The Chief Minister further stated that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha has received strong encouragement in industrialisation, employment generation and economic growth. He said pro-people initiatives of the Central Government, along with the state government’s focused interventions for women and farmers, have energised the rural economy.
Several measures beneficial to Odisha have also been announced in the Union Budget 2026–27, he added, noting that the state is receiving national priority under the Prime Minister’s guidance.
Stating that a large number of suggestions are being received through web portals, email, SMS and WhatsApp for budget preparation, he asked departments to carefully record and consider all the inputs emerging from the consultation process, reiterating that in a government of the people, citizens’ opinions will remain paramount.
The meeting was attended by more than 50 experts, including former Finance Ministers Prafulla Ghadei and Niranjan Pujari, former Finance Secretaries Ardhendu Sarangi, A K Tripathi and R N Senapati, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Young Entrepreneurs Association, NGO members, Fintech CEOs, social workers, and CREDAI Vice President.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Development Commissioner D K Singh, Additional Chief Secretary to the CM Saswata Mishra, Finance Secretary Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra and senior officials attended the meeting.
