Bhubaneswar: Ahead of the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera on Thursday presented Vote-on-Account or interim budget of Rs 56,821 crore, out of the annual budget estimate of Rs 1.326 lakh crore for the first four months of 2019-20 in the State Assembly amid the walkout of opposition Congress and BJP members.
The Finance Minister in his budget speech also said that Odisha has been able to achieve better economic growth of 8 per cent against the national growth rate of 7.1 per cent.
He said that the State economy will grow at 8.35 per cent in 2018-19.
No new scheme was announced and instead budgetary provisions were made for different schemes and continuing programmes.
An allocation of Rs 4461 crore was made for the recently launched KALIA scheme for farmers while Rs 400 crore was made for Ama Gaon Ama Bikash-PEETHA, Rs 2935 crore for BASUDHA, Rs 2120 crore for Madhubabu Pension Yojana, Rs 301 crore for Mission Shakti, Rs 305 crore for MAMATA, Rs 864 crore Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, Rs 500 for Gopabandhu Grameen Yojana and Rs 1,777 crore for Parvati Giti Lift Irrigation project, Rs 1465 crore for Water Sector Infrastructure Development programme, Rs 1300 for Road Development programme and Rs 1028 crore for Re 1/per kg rice.
The Minister also announced an allocation of Rs 959 crore for pre-matric and post matric scholarship to ST ad SC students, Rs 533 crore for 33/11 KV Sub-Station, Rs 500 crore Biju Setu Yojana, Rs 410 crore for development of railway projects in the State and Rs 401 crore for UNNATI.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik hailed the budget. “It’s a pro-farmer, pro-women, pro-SC&ST and development-oriented budget; I am happy that adequate provision is made for KALIA scheme,” said Patnaik after presentation of the interim budget.
As per practice, a Vote-on-Account or approval for essential Government spending for a limited period is taken in an election year.
