February 18th 2025.
The budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 presented by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the Assembly on Monday received a varied response from the people of Bhubaneswar. Citizens from all walks of life had different opinions about the budget, which amounted to Rs 2,90,000 crore. The government's focus on transformative sectors such as infrastructure, urban development, agriculture and irrigation, capital investment, port-led development, industrialization, and sports was a highlight of the budget.
Upon speaking to OrissaPOST, a majority of citizens praised the government's efforts to boost sectors like agriculture, communication, education, infrastructure, healthcare, and IT through the budget. However, some expressed their disappointment about the lesser allocations and attention given to sectors like distress migration.
Entrepreneur Sakyasingha Mohapatra commended the budget for its emphasis on growth across various sectors. He also appreciated the government's focus on building an Innovation Corridor to promote research, technology, and startups. Mohapatra believed that the allocations for infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, and education would drive industrial growth and create job opportunities. He also stressed the importance of effective implementation for economic progress and inclusive development.
Social activist Saroj Barik pointed out that no previous government had recognized distress migration as an issue in Odisha. He was pleased that the current government had acknowledged and addressed the issue by forming a task force and making budgetary provisions for it. However, Barik also noted that the allocated amount of Rs 12 crore may not be sufficient to curb distress migration. He suggested that more efforts should be put into mapping the migrant population, tracking their movement, and implementing family-based interventions to prevent distress migration and illegal trafficking of laborers.
Health expert Amrit Pattojoshi highlighted the government's allocation of Rs 21,200 crore for public healthcare in the budget, which was a 30% increase from the previous year. He noted that this amount accounted for eight percent of the state's budget, in line with the normative allocation recommended by the 15th Finance Commission. Pattojoshi believed that this increase would greatly benefit the healthcare sector.
Social activist Sudarshan Chhotoray welcomed the budget, which had a strong focus on infrastructure development in both rural and urban areas. However, he expressed his disappointment with the minimal allocation of Rs 800 crore for tourism. Chhotoray suggested that the government should invest more in building climate-resilient and disaster-resilient infrastructure to protect the people from future environmental and climate threats.
Overall, the budget received a mixed response from the people of Bhubaneswar. While some appreciated the government's efforts, others felt that more could have been done in certain areas. Effective implementation of the budget's provisions will be crucial for the state's economic progress and inclusive development.
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