What are the main objectives of 2006-07 Budget?

Actually this budget is totally designed on the basis of finance commission’s recommendation. Nothing more than that. So this year Budget’s priorities have been fixed to infrastructure developments, particularly road sector to facilitated tourism and industrialization, Education, development of SCs and Sts.

Can you explain what significant steps that have taken for employment generation in this budget?

Not that much. I am giving an example if we will spend only 3 hundred crores in Mid-day meal system, by giving nutritious food to the school children that includes bread , milk, and egg then for the production of nutritious food directly 4 lakhs employment will be created. In this budget floriculture has been neglected which creates more employment with less spending.

It is felt that agriculture & small scale industries have been neglected for long time. Do you think sufficient majors have been taken for the development of the sector in this budget?

No. The budget have provision. But now it is not adequate for agriculture purposes and irrigation. That is not the question. The question is target. The budget is planned for one year which is not purely estimate for incoming and out going. Budget have the certain fiscal policy with targeted growth in all sectors. So we want to spend this money in agriculture and irrigation sector and want this much out come from source. So outlay and out come is the priority of this budget. So I think such type of idea is not present in this budget.

In your opinion which areas have been neglected in the present budget?

I think particularly Handloom, Handicraft, agriculture and allied sectors like pisciculture flowericulture animal husbandry, Horticulture, sericulture and marketing plan which is linked to the above sectors are neglected in this budget. I am giving an example the government of India announced 74 crores for horticulture but the government of India made it stand till January last and released only 36 crores but we are not able to spend more than 10 crores. This is the situation for horticulture. We can not say that the government of India released the money in latest stage. Our budget should be so designed keeping in view the center’s budget. We have to visualize what the government of India is doing this year because we know their policies. But I think our present budget is not designed so.

Do you think budgetary majors taken in this budget to help the process of economic growth in Orissa?

Actually the Finance Minister repeatedly has shown that the target is 10% growth in this budget for this year. But honestly said that we see how we placing the total money from consolidated fund into different areas. For all this micro level ideas I am mot getting hope of this 10% growth particularly in this budget.