Odisha Assembly Budget Session Resumes With Heated Discussions

Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhi has announced the recommencement of the budget session from August 20 to September 13. The session will focus on budget discussions with particular attention on the Rs 2.65 lakh crore proposal for the fiscal year 2024-25. BJP's budget has prompted criticism from ex-Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The Odisha Assembly will restart its budget discussions, as announced by Speaker Surama Padhi on Monday. The session, set to run from August 20 to September 13, will center on the budget proposals tabled for the fiscal year 2024-25.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also serves as the finance minister, presented a budget worth Rs 2.65 lakh crore, marking a 15% increase from the previous year's budgetary forecast of Rs 2.30 lakh crore. The budget has allocated Rs 33,919 crore to agriculture, reflecting a 36% rise from the previous year. Key spending estimates include Rs 1.55 lakh crore for program expenditures, Rs 97,725 crore for administrative costs, and Rs 3,900 crore for disaster risk management.

The budget has been touted by the BJP as historic and growth-oriented but has faced criticism from former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Patnaik derisively labeled it a 'Name Changer,' accusing the BJP of rebranding 80% of old schemes while adding that only 20% of the budget reflects new initiatives from the BJP's manifesto.