Odisha Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari presented the budget for 2021-22 with an outlay of ₹1,70,000 crore — about 26% higher than that of 2020-21 (revised estimate) in the Assembly on Monday.
Mr. Pujari has ensured that the Naveen Patnaik government’s all flagship projects — Puri Heritage Corridor, Lingaraj and Samaleswari temple beautification programmes, SCB Medical College development and Kalia (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation) — do not face fund shortage.
While ₹17,469 crore has been allocated for agriculture and allied activities, ₹9,164 crore has been earmarked for public health care with an increase of about 19% over previous year.
A corpus of ₹500 crore has been created to facilitate timely payment of wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Act pending receipt of Central assistance for the wage component.
A substantial ₹29,063 crore has been allocated under the tribal and the SC sub-components.
The government allotted ₹500 crore as part of the ₹3,500-crore plan to convert the SCB Medical College into “AIIMS Plus institute” to provide world-class facilities.
The government would have ₹542 crore in coming fiscal to transform Puri into world heritage city while ₹200 crore each have been allocated for the Lingaraj and Samaleswari temple development.
“It is a pro-people, pro-growth and transformative budget in our journey towards new Odisha — empowered Odisha,” said Mr. Patnaik.
“Most of last year, we lost in COVID lockdowns. From that scenario to present a holistic, fiscally prudent budget for ₹1.76 lakh crore is nothing short of brilliant,” Mr. Patnaik said, congratulating everyone involved.
