Naveen Patnaik: Odisha’s supplementary budget lacks vision

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Saturday claimed that the supplementary budget presented by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi lacks vision and will lead the state to a fiscal deficit.
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 has dashed people’s hopes. There are no major schemes for infrastructure projects and it lacks any vision,” Patnaik claimed in an Xpost. He said administrative expenses are being reduced, while Odisha’s debt burden is increasing.
Patnaik said, “The supplementary budget contains nothing except Rs 900 crore allocated for the Works Department and some urban infrastructure projects.” He alleged, “This supplementary budget appears to be a ploy to hide the declining central grants and revenue shortfall. It is not for the benefit of the people of the state. It is another attempt to mislead the people of the state.” Majhi, who is in charge of the Finance Department, stated that the supplementary budget is intended to address the funding needs for public welfare and development activities in the state, specifically by reallocating existing resources and tying up resources from various sources.