Odisha Assembly approves ₹2.65 lakh crore appropriation bill for 2024-25

Bhubaneswar, Sept 11: The Odisha Assembly on Tuesday approved the appropriation bill of ₹2.65 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2024-25. This bill marks the first budget presented by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, following the Bharatiya Janata Party's election victory that ended the 24-year rule of the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal government.

In his address on the Appropriation Bill, Chief Minister Majhi emphasized that the budget prioritizes change, development, good governance, and Odia Asmita, with a vision to transform Odisha into a 'Bikashit Odisha' by 2036, marking the centenary of the state's formation.

Majhi highlighted that the budget had incorporated feedback from 12,000 suggestions, six times more than in the previous year. He assured that the 2024-25 budget met crucial benchmarks for scale and fiscal discipline, with a fiscal deficit of ₹32,403 crore, representing 3.5% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), indicative of a robust economy.

The Chief Minister also criticized the previous BJD government for its handling of school infrastructure and quality of education, referring to issues revealed in recent assessments. He pointed out that while the BJD government had heavily publicized school transformation efforts, significant problems remained. To address educational deficiencies, the new budget introduces initiatives like the Godabarish Mishra Adarsh Prathamika Vidyalaya scheme and the Panchasakha Shikshya Setu Abhiyan, aimed at enhancing educational quality and infrastructure in the state.