Odisha

[Watch] Union Budget: Odisha CM Naveen Happy Over Thrust On Millets; Worried For MGNREGS & Food Security Fund Cut

By
OB Bureau

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday voiced concern over some aspects of the Union Budget 2023 and said drastic cut of funds for MGNREGS will hit the poor, while provision for Ayushman Bharat scheme was inadequate.

In his reaction to the Union Budget, the Chief Minister said it has some good aspects which needs to be appreciated and there are some concerns which needs to be looked into and addressed.

“Good steps are, increased capital investment, support to drinking water initiatives and increasing rural housing, he said, adding that these will accelerate growth and have social impact in rural areas,” he said.

Welcoming the Prime Minister’s thrust on millets, Naveen said ‘Odisha Millet Mission’ is a pioneering initiative in the country and “I am happy that millets have been given importance in the Budget.”

The focus on new world technologies like artificial intelligence, Internet of Things etc. is appreciable. These are some of the good aspects of the Budget. The focus on primitive tribal groups is a welcome step, he said.

However, the Chief Minister said there has been drastic reduction of funds for MGNREGS which will hit the poor people. The reduction in food security budget along with reduction in procurement will hit the poor people as well as farmers.

About 80,000 crore was spent on procurement in 2021-22 while only about 60,000 crore is kept in this budget, Naveen said, adding this will cause serious problems in selling crops at Minimum Support Price.

While in 2021-22 an amount of Rs 2 lakh crore was spent under National Food Security, in this budget only 1.37 lakh crore is kept for this purpose, he said.

The Chief Minister said there has been a decrease or no growth in health and education sectors.

“Now to the point which Odisha BJP always harps on. The budget provision for Ayushman Bharat ‘PMJAY’ is Rs 7,200 crore for the entire country and Odisha spends almost about Rs 2,400 crores on BSKY in private facilities alone,” he said.

“If we include government facilities it would be around Rs 6,000 annually under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana. Health is an important priority for our State and we believe in investing and in sincere efforts,” the Chief Minister said, adding that BJP state leaders should refrain from ‘misleading’ people on Ayushman Bharat programme.

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

Hina Khan Shares Warm Post For ‘Humble And Kind’ Salman Khan

Mumbai: Television actress Hina Khan, who is battling breast cancer, recently met host Salman Khan…

November 23, 2024

AR Rahman Sends Legal Notice To Defamers Over Link-Up Rumours With Mohini Dey

 Mumbai: Following reports of his alleged link-up with bassist Mohini Dey, renowned music composer AR…

November 23, 2024

Tamannah Bhatia & Vijay Varma Go House Hunting; Is Marriage On Cards?

Mumbai: The love story of actors Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varma has not been clandestine.…

November 23, 2024

Puri Jagannath Temple Admn Receives Ratna Bhandar GPR-GPS Survey Report; Asks ASI To Start Repair Work

Puri: Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has received the report of the Ratna Bhandar’s GPR-GPS…

November 23, 2024

Book Review: A Redemptive Tale Of Losing And Finding

With his debut novel ‘The Other Side of the Rainbow’ published recently, Niranjan Nayak, an…

November 23, 2024

Santosh Trophy: Odisha Seal Spot In Final Round With 2 Big Wins

Bhubaneswar: Odisha outplayed Chhattisgarh 4-1 on Saturday to seal a berth in the final round…

November 23, 2024

Diljit Dosanjh Asks States To Go Dry; ‘I Will Then Stop Singing Songs On Alcohol’

Mumbai: The Telangana government’s notice barring him from singing songs promoting alcohol and drugs at…

November 23, 2024

PM Modi To Participate In ‘Odisha Parba 2024’ In Delhi Tomorrow

Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the ‘Odisha Parba 2024’ programme on Sunday…

November 23, 2024