Odisha's supplementary budget lacks any vision, claims Patnaik

Bhubaneswar, Nov 29 (PTI) Odisha's Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Saturday claimed the supplementary budget presented by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi lacked any vision and would push the state towards a fiscal deficit situation.

Majhi presented a supplementary budget of Rs 17,440 crore in the assembly on Friday.

"The BJP government's supplementary budget presented in the Assembly is dashing the hopes of people. There is no major scheme for infrastructure projects and lacks any vision," Patnaik claimed in a X post.

He said that while administrative expenses are being curtailed, Odisha's debt burden is increasing.

"There is nothing in the supplementary budget other than Rs 900 crore allocated for the Works Department and some urban infrastructure projects," Patnaik said.

"It seems that this supplementary budget is a ploy to conceal the declining central grants and revenue shortfalls. Not for the welfare of the state's people. This is an additional effort to mislead the people of the state," he alleged.

Majhi, also in charge of the Finance Department, had stated that the supplementary budget is aimed at fulfilling the requirement of funds for public welfare and development activities in the state, mainly through reallocation of available resources and receipt of tied-up resources from various sources. PTI AAM AAM SOM