Odisha: Odisha CM Mohan Majhi sets groundwork for a developed Odisha by 2036 | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Mohan Majhi on Tuesday said his maiden budget will serve as the groundwork for a prosperous Odisha by the time the state celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2036.
“In this budget we have focused on transformation, development, governance and Odia Asmita to realise the dream of a developed Odisha by its centenary year. We are working towards a clear roadmap for Vision-2036.This way we are making a major contribution to build a developed India,” Majhi said while replying to the debate on the budget.
The chief minister, who is also in-charge of the finance department, said this budget is aimed at addressing the long-term needs of the state and its people, setting the stage for a brighter future, and paving the way for sustainable growth and progress across various sectors.
Countering leader of opposition Naveen Patnaik, who said the budget was just a “name-changer,” Majhi justified the change of names of “certain schemes” saying all can’t be named after just one personality.
The govt has dropped Biju Patnaik’s name from state’s health assurance scheme and the from free laptop distribution initiative and named them after social reformers Gopabandhu Das and Godabarisha Mishra, respectively.
“It is a priority of our govt to give due respect to all Odia heroes. Many sons of Odisha have contributed significantly to its language, history, culture, community service, freedom struggle and the creation of a unique Odisha province,” the CM said.
Stating that the leader of opposition had called this budget a ‘name-changing’ budget and ‘jumla’, Majhi said, “The fact is that the previous govt was a ‘jumla’ govt. He was planning for vote bank. Many projects were started and stopped,” Majhi said.
“People of Odisha entrusted a person as their chief minister for a very long time, hoping he will change their fortunes. The fate of the people did not change. Frustrated, they changed the govt,” the CM added.
Majhi said out of the total budgetary allocation of Rs 2.65 lakh crore, the programme expenditure is estimated at Rs 1.55 lakh crore, which is 24% more than that of the 2023-24 financial year. Capital expenditure Rs 58,195 crore, which is 6.3% of Gross State Domestic Product , has the highest proportion of capital expenditure in the total budget compared to all the major states, he said.
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Naveen Patnaik accused the BJP government of renaming schemes initiated by his administration while questioning BJP’s promises on cash incentives for women and paddy purchase prices. He expressed doubts on BJP’s budget allocations to fulfill its promises, calling it a ‘name-changing budget.’ BJP leaders responded, claiming the new government is focused on development for Odisha by 2036.
The previous Odisha state government’s initiatives, Biju Swasthya Kalyana Yojana (BSKY) and Kalia for farmers, were retained by the new government under different names. BSKY was rebranded as Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana and integrated with Ayushman Bharat. The Kalia scheme is now called CM KISAN, and the free laptop distribution scheme was renamed after poet Godabarisha Mishra.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed queries on Budget 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha, emphasizing increased expenditure across sectors. She stated the fiscal deficit will be reduced to below 4.5% by 2025-26. Significant budget increases were noted in agriculture, education, women, rural and urban development, and health sectors compared to 2013-14 allocations.
