Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik on Friday hit out at the state government over the supplementary budget, claiming that it fails to meet the expectations of the people
Reacting sharply to the supplementary budget presented by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the Assembly on Friday, Naveen said the proposal offers no major roadmap for the development of the state.
Claiming that the proposal lacks major infrastructure projects and a clear vision, the former Chief Minister said it appears that an attempt is being made to conceal declining central grants and revenue shortfalls.
Criticising the allocation of Rs 900 crore for the Public Works Department, he said it is insufficient and mainly focuses on urban areas.
“The BJP government’s supplementary budget presented in the Assembly is shattering the hopes of the people of Odisha. In the first full year of the new BJP government, there is no sign of any major infrastructure project or new vision that was expected. This is pushing us towards fiscal austerity. Administrative expenses are being curtailed. Odisha’s debt burden is increasing,” the LoP said in a post on X.
“The budget allocates Rs 900 crore for the Public Works Department, and barring a few urban area infrastructure initiatives, there is nothing else. It seems this supplementary budget is an attempt ploy to conceal the declining central grants and revenue shortfalls. Not for the welfare of the state’s residents, this is an additional effort to mislead the people of the state”, Naveen added.
Notably, CM Majhi, who holds the Finance portfolio, presented a Supplementary Budget of Rs 17,440 crore for the current financial year 2025-26 in the Odisha Assembly on Friday.
While the main budget for 2025-26 has an outlay of Rs 2.90 lakh crore, the supplementary budget will primarily fund ongoing flagship schemes in health, education, social security and urban infrastructure.
