Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly passed the Appropriation Bill for 2024 on Tuesday, authorizing the state government to utilise Rs 2.65 lakh crore from its consolidated fund for the fiscal year 2024-25.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is also in charge of the Finance portfolio, advocated for the Bill, stating that the budget estimate for 2024-25 is Rs 2.65 lakh crore, marking a 15% increase over the previous year’s budget.
Chief Minister Majhi presented the Expenditure Sanction Bill on Tuesday for the House’s approval. Following debates by members of both the opposition and the ruling party, the Chief Minister responded, after which Speaker Surma Padhi passed the bill.
Chief Minister Majhi expressed that this budget is pivotal for ‘Developed India’ and serves as a cornerstone for realizing ‘Developed Odisha’ by 2036, the centenary year of Odisha’s establishment as a separate province.
He announced an allocation of Rs 21,200 crore for healthcare, up 32% from the previous year, making up 8% of the current budget. He also noted that Rs 75,622 crore is designated for women’s welfare.
The Chief Minister underscored his administration’s strict stance against violence towards women and revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Subhadra scheme in Odisha on September 17, which will grant Rs 50,000 to more than one crore women in the state.
The Odisha government is set to draw in excess of Rs 2.50 lakh crore in domestic investments and over $2 billion in foreign direct investment by 2029. Majhi criticized the former BJD government for not delivering on its Rs 100 per quintal paddy bonus promise. In contrast, he pointed out that the BJP government has resolved to buy paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal, which is Rs 800 more than the central government’s MSP. A provision
