Life Above Rest: Odisha Reviews Its 2020-21 Budget, Sets Priorities; Plasma Therapy At IGH-Rourkela Soon

Bhubaneswar: Amid the COVD-19 pandemic, the Odisha government on Wednesday decided to curtail new expenditures in non-priority sectors.

After the Council of Ministers’ meeting, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy said 2020-21 budget allocations have to be relooked at in the present situation since saving lives is the top priority of the government.

Some pointers from the press briefing

– Medical expenditures and that for equipment will be fully funded

– Social security measures will remain uninterrupted

– Priority will be given to livelihood interventions

– Ongoing work will continue

– The digital way of working will be accelerated

– Prudent borrowing will be done

Tripathy elaborated that the government is expecting a reduction in central funds and therefore will have to focus on market borrowing. However, market borrowings will be done within enhanced FRBM limits. “There will be no expensive market borrowings as funds are cheaply available under CAMPA, OMBDAC… Rs 1,000 cr has already been borrowed from these sources,” he informed.

The chief secretary said that April-May had seen 70 per cent less revenue generation, “The deficit has now come down to 20 per cent. Mining auction has helped to generate resources and Odisha is in a better position to handle the crisis,” he said.

He further informed that plasma therapy will begin at IGH, Rourkela soon. The service is currently being offered in SUM and KIMS hospitals in Bhubaneswar, Ashwini Hospital in Cuttack and Tata COVID hospital in Sitalapali in Ganjam district.

Infra Developed For COVID Management 

13,796 quarantine centres with 6,17,090 beds

35 COVID hospitals with 5,577 beds

19 labs with RT-PCR testing facilities

Expenditure Incurred

The government has so far spent Rs 340 cr from CMRF, Rs 624 cr from SDRF, Rs 875 cr by Panchayati Raj Institutions, Rs 73 crore from LAD fund of MLAs.