Odisha Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mohan Charan Majhi presents the State budget 2025-26 in the Legislative Assembly, in Bhubaneswar, on February 17, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday (February 17, 2025) presented the State’s annual Budget for 2025-26 with total outlay of ₹2,90,000 crore, prioritising capital expenditure which is pegged at ₹65,012 crore – 6.1% of Gross State Domestic Product.
Presenting his first full budget after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in Odisha in June 2024, Mr. Majhi said, “I propose the Budget Estimates for the year 2025-26 for ₹2,90,000 crore. I propose to increase the Programme Budget to ₹1,70,000 crore in the Budget Estimates, 2025-26, which is about 59% of the total Budget Estimates. Capital Outlay of ₹65,012 crore estimated in this Budget is 6.1% of the GSDP, one of the highest among all major States in the country.”
The outlay of ₹2,90,000 crore is proposed to be financed mainly through revenue receipts of ₹2,32,000 crore and borrowing and other receipts of ₹58,000 crore, says budget document.
“We will be able to generate revenue surplus of about 3% GSDP and fiscal deficit will be limited to 3.2% of GSDP for the year 2025-26. Thus, the Annual Budget, 2025-26 would be Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management compliant,” he said.
The BJP government has given emphasis on strengthening road network further by proposing to create an autonomous body ‘Highways Authority of Odisha’ on the lines of National Highways Authority of India.
“We are bringing out a progressive road policy converging the efforts of departments like Works [including national highways], rural development, housing and urban development, water resources and panchayati raj and drinking water. Together, these departments will build 75,000 km of world class roads till 2029-30,” he announced.
Apart from the major roads such as Atal Expressway linking Motu in Malkangiri to Tiring in Mayurbhanj, along with critical road corridors such as Jharsuguda–Balasore, Nuapada–Astarang, Brundabahal–Gopalpur, Brahmapur–Jeypore, Jeypore–Rourkela, and Rourkela–Jaleswar, the government proposed to spend ₹13,000 crore on Comprehensive City Road Decongestion Plan to ease traffic flow and improve mobility in Bhubaneswar and ₹6,502 crore for improvement of 3,000 km of road and development of Berhampur-Jeypore six lane green field expressway.
“State highways would be converted to four lane standards for better road connectivity. Major district roads and other district roads would be developed to two lane standards under Road Development Programme,” he said.
Keeping the low urbanisation in Odisha in mind, Mr. Majhi said, “We intent to establish a metropolitan development region of about 7,000 sq. km encompassing Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Jatni, Cuttack, Paradip, and Puri. Similar regional urban development planning shall also be undertaken for other major growth centres as well across the State.”
In a bid to give momentum to its Subhadra scheme, cash incentive scheme for women, and strengthen its base among women, the BJP government proposed Subhadra Plus, an umbrella scheme to take up new initiatives including Kishori Subhadra, Subhadra Sanchay, Subhadra Surakhya, Subhadra Sakhi, Subhadra Yatri, Subhadra Sangh (Subhadra Club), Kuha Subhadra (Call Centre), Subhadra Sahyogi,Subhadra Scholars, and Sujogya Subhadra. While ₹10,145 crore has been proposed for Subhadra and ₹153 crore will be spent under Subhadra Surakshya for ensuring safety and security of women in 2025-26.
The Mohan Majhi government has also come up with a new scheme Mukhya Mantri Kanya Bibaha Yojana. Under the scheme, mass marriages will be performed, and the government will bear all the expenses as well as provide the gift for the bride.
Published – February 17, 2025 10:19 pm IST