Odisha Finance Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha on Friday pegged the supplementary budget at ₹.28,200 crore for 2023-24, allocating resources for ‘vote-catching’ projects.
The State government has made provision of ₹1,302 crore for Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha (AONO), under which sarpanches can spend ₹50 lakh each annually. The AONO is dubbed as a populist project. Opposition political parties have been criticising the scheme, saying the Naveen Patnaik government is parking the fund in the gram panchayats just before the upcoming Assembly election.
Similarly, the Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative (LACCMI) scheme, which seeks to strengthen the public transportation system, has received ₹556 crore. Women self-help groups will be given priority in implementation of the project.
IT connectivity to gram panchayats received ₹252 crore, Odisha Metro Rail Transport ₹210 crore, and construction of additional classrooms in schools through panchayati raj institutions ₹153 crore.
“The supplementary budget is aimed at fulfilling the requirement of funds for public welfare and developmental activities in the State mainly through reallocation of available resources and receipt of tied-up resources from various sources,” said Mr. Arukha.
The Finance Department said supplementary provisions were necessitated for additional requirement of funds for completion of the important ongoing projects under the State sector, Central sector, Centrally-sponsored schemes, and recoupment of advance taken from the Odisha Contingency Fund.
Mr. Arukha said farmers’ welfare and food security were given priority in the supplementary budget. A total of ₹4,433 crore has been allocated for irrigation facility, farmers’ welfare, and food security.
Under this head, ₹223 crore has been earmarked for crop production management, ₹253 crore for horticulture development programme, ₹.150 crore for capital investment and farm mechanisation, ₹464 crore towards food storage and warehousing procurement operation support system, and ₹400 crore for premium subsidy under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
Education, sports, and skill development have received an allocation of ₹3,651 crore, including ₹600 crore for non-government high schools.
