Last Odisha Budget Before 2024 Polls

Bhubaneswar: Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls, state Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari will present the last full-fledged budget on Friday.

Last year, the Odisha budget was of Rs 2 lakh crore. So, it is expected that Pujari’s budget for Odisha this year it will be around Rs 2.30 lakh, which has been approved by the council of ministers for 2023-24.

As the elections are to be held next year, the BJD government will try to woo all sections of people through this state budget. According to economic experts, the major thrust areas of this budget may be:

*State government will focus on infrastructure and social security.

*Emphasis on agriculture, education, health, rural development, sports, Mission Shakti cannot be ruled out.

*There will be stress on irrigation, employment and Awas Yojana.

* Srimandir Parikrama Project, Lingaraj Project and other temple development projects may get extra funds allotment.

The Economic Survey Elaborates Salient points on which this budget will be based on:

*According to the Economic Survey report, Odisha’s economic growth is likely to drop to 7.82 percent in 2022-23 from around 11 percent in 2021-22.

*Odisha’s per capita income (2022-23 AE) at Rs 150,676 at current prices is lower than the national average of Rs 170,620 (current prices). It is major point that the state Finance Minister will have to look into.