With less than three months remaining in the current financial year, the Odisha government has managed to spend only Rs 1,41,536.12 crore out of the total budgeted expenditure, accounting for 51.31% of the allocation. This marks a slight dip compared to the previous fiscal year 2024-25, when 52.02% of the budget was utilised in the first nine months.
The sluggish spending has raised concerns, particularly in nine key departments where expenditure remains below 40%. In response, the Chief Secretary has issued strict directives during the first secretary-level meeting of the new year to accelerate budget utilisation. Departments such as Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, Water Resources, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), and Sports have been specifically urged to ramp up their spending.
According to data presented at the January 1 secretary-level meeting, the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department leads with the highest expenditure, having spent Rs 2,783.25 crore (78.67%) by the end of December. On the other end of the spectrum, the Sports and Youth Services Department has utilised only 12.27% of its budget, while the Disaster Management Department stands at 12.50%. Other underperforming departments include MSME at 27.37%, Steel and Mines at 21.24%, Industries at 26.83%, Odisha Legislative Assembly at 30.69%, Panchayati Raj at 35.65%, General Administration at 37.63%, and Water Resources at 39.66%.
In terms of program expenditure, out of the total allocated Rs 1,74,230.61 crore for the year, departments have spent Rs 84,363.98 crore (48.28%) by December. Here too, performance varies widely: the Industries Department has spent just 3.55%, Sports and Youth Services 5.67%, Finance 6.86%, and Steel and Mines 7.72%.
While some departments lag, others have shown improvement over the previous fiscal year. The Commerce Department recorded a 127.45% increase in spending, Transport 109%, Tourism 82.58%, and Mission Shakti an impressive 221.39%. However, sectors like Forest and Environment and MSME have seen a decline in utilisation rates compared to last year.
The Chief Secretary’s review emphasised the need for immediate action to avoid lapsed funds and ensure effective implementation of development programs as the fiscal year draws to a close.
