At Rs. 16,048 crore, or over three times the amount allocated in the 2017–18 Budget, the health sector received a significant portion of the Rs 2.3 lakh crore Budget presented, an increase of about 27% over the previous year.
The Odisha government on Friday unveiled its final full-fledged state budget for the fiscal year 2023–2024 in advance of the next year’s assembly elections. With a strong emphasis on agriculture, health, drinking water, and road building that would boost the rural economy, state finance minister Niranjan Pujari presented the budget.
According to Pujari, it is built on chief minister Naveen Patniak’s goal of creating an empowered, new Odisha.
“The state has not only been able to raise the aspirations of our people but has also been able to meet them by taking the state on an unprecedented growth trajectory. From a state often counted amongst the most underdeveloped states, Odisha is now surging ahead to lead the country in many sectors. Transformation is our singular aim,” he said.
At Rs. 16,048 crore, or over three times the amount allocated in the 2017–18 Budget, the health sector received a significant portion of the $2.3 lakh crore Budget presented, an increase of about 27% over the prior year.
The makeover of 147 healthcare facilities, including community health centres, sub-divisional hospitals, and district headquarters, will be completed before the end of the year, according to the finance minister who allotted 750 crore for the project.
He also stated that 236 additional ambulances would be purchased in order to reduce the average ambulance response time from 30 minutes to 20 minutes.
According to Pujari, the agriculture sector received a budget of Rs. 24,829 crore, a 20% increase from the previous year’s Budget, as a boost for agriculture and farmers. 2,000 crore of this has been set aside for a revolving fund that will be used for paddy procurement activities, which have been a focal point for irate farmers in the politically significant western Odisha districts.
The Kalia plan, a cash-transfer programme for farmers that started in January 2019 and assisted the BJD in winning at least 45 assembly seats in the most recent assembly elections, received 1,879 crore from the Patnaik administration as well.
The finance minister also made significant budgetary allocations for piped drinking water (13,215 crore) and wage payments under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (2,800 crore).
51,683 crores, or 34% more than last year’s allotment, have been set aside for infrastructure projects in the areas of roads, bridges, trains, and airports. Of this amount, 4,600 crores will be used to double-lane around 3000 km of highways, improving riding quality.
Moreover, funds were granted for 6000 km of roads under the Mukhyamantri Sadak Yojana and 1,900 crore for 526 new bridge projects under the Biju Setu Yojana. Moreover, funds have been set aside for the construction of railway projects and a viability gap funding subsidy under the UDAN Programme for linking the future state airports at Utkela, Rangeilunda, and Malkangiri with the minor airports of Jharsuguda and Jeypore.
The government approved 50 crore for the Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana, which would provide scooters to members of Mission Shakti SHGs, keeping its focus on self-help groups (SHGs).
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stated the enormous budgetary allocation means nothing while the state is failing on capital investment, despite the chief minister hailing the Budget as progressive. According to capital expenditure between 2019 and 2022, the state “is not among the top 10 states,” according to Samir Mohanty, president of the BJP’s Odisha branch.
Prasanta Patnaik 
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