Odisha govt presents Rs 16,800 crore supplementary budget

The Odisha government on Thursday presented the first supplementary budget worth Rs 16,800 crore for 2022-23 fiscal in the assembly on the first day of the winter session.

Panchayati Raj Minister P K Amat presented the supplementary statement of expenditure for 2022-23 on behalf of Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari.

Of the total supplementary provision, Rs 9,200 crore has been allocated for programme expenditure, Rs 4,934 crore for administrative expenditure, Rs 2,610 crore for disaster management and Rs 55.54 crore for transfer to Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies, Amat said.

Keeping in view the expectations of the people in a welfare state, the supplementary budget is aimed at fulfilling the requirement of funds for public welfare and developmental activities in the state mainly through reallocation of available resources and receipt of tied-up resources from various sources, he said.

The supplementary provision of Rs 9,200 crore under programme expenditure is to be financed by tied-up resources to the extent of Rs 2,066 crore and through additional revenue collection and savings to the extent of Rs 7,134 crore, the minister said.

Out of Rs 4,934 crore administrative expenditure, Rs 3,700 crore has been earmarked for budget stabilisation fund and Rs 173 crore for maintenance of schools and primary health care centres run by gram panchayats.

Under disaster risk mitigation, Amat said Rs 200 crore has been allocated for assistance to farmers affected by crop loss owing to drought during Kharif season last year.

Of the Rs 9,200 crore under programme expenditure, the highest of Rs 2,084 crore has been allocated for education, sports and skill development sector, followed by Rs 867 crore for public healthcare, Rs 782 crore for urban development and Rs 128 crore for promotion of culture and tourism.

Similarly, Rs 388 crore has been allocated for energy, IT, commerce, transport and R&D sectors. The state government has provided Rs 552 crore for rural housing, wage employment, provision of drinking water and rural infrastructure.

For the empowerment of women and child development, the supplementary budget allocated Rs 172 crore, Rs 438 crore for ST/SC development and minority and backward class welfare initiatives and Rs 306.65 crore for irrigation, farmers' welfare and food security.

With this supplementary budget, the state is likely to maintain revenue surplus, contain fiscal deficit within 3 per cent of GSDP and maintain the debt-GSDP ratio at the year-end within the mandated level of 25 per cent, Amat said.

The size of the supplementary budget outlay of the state in 2021-22 was Rs 19,833 crore, sources said.

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