July 31st 2024.
In Bhubaneswar, the Assembly gathered on Wednesday to pass the Odisha Appropriation Bill for the year 2024. This bill allows the state government to withdraw a sum of Rs 95,000 crore from the Consolidated Fund for use in the months of August and September of the current financial year. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is also in charge of the finance department, presented the Bill to the House. Despite opposition from members of the BJD and Congress, who walked out, the Bill was passed by a voice vote.
This is the second Vote-on-Account to be passed in the same financial year, with the first one being approved in February to cover the expenses for the months of April, May, June, and July. As the current Vote-on-Account was set to expire on July 31, well before the budget was passed, the state introduced this second Vote-on-Account to cover expenditures for August and September.
Before the Bill was passed, Majhi explained, "I have presented a Bill of Rs 95,000 crore for the House's approval. This appropriation includes 30 per cent for revenue expenditure, 40 per cent for capital expenditure, and additional funds for disaster management, social security, pensions, judiciary, and elections." He further added that this allocation would ensure that essential government schemes and emergency work are adequately funded.
After the Bill was passed, Speaker Surama Padhy concluded the first phase of the session and adjourned the House until August 20 for the second phase, which is set to begin at 10.30 AM. During the debate, Opposition MLAs raised concerns about Odisha's special category status. In response, Majhi pointed out that this issue has been raised and rejected multiple times in the past 24 years in various national forums.
He also criticized the opposition for using this demand for political leverage, stating that the Fifth Finance Commission had first recommended special category status for states in 1969, based on specific criteria such as hilly terrain, low population density, border state status, economic and infrastructural backwardness, and limited resource mobilization. Majhi argued that the Centre has consistently denied Odisha's request for special category status as it does not meet these criteria.
Addressing a claim made by BJD leader Arun Kumar Sahoo, who suggested that Andhra Pradesh and Bihar received more central budget allocations despite having fewer BJP-affiliated MPs, Majhi countered by asking, "When the Biju Janata Dal had 20 MPs, why couldn't you secure more funds then?" He further urged the opposition to review the Union Budget's provisions and recognize the significant benefits that the state has received.
Highlighting the railway budget, Majhi noted that this year, Odisha received a whopping Rs 10,500 crore, which is 12.5 times more than the allocation in 2014. He argued that this significant increase represented a substantial special package for the state. The Chief Minister concluded by citing several other instances where Odisha has received improved funding from the central budget.
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