In a significant development, Odisha Finance Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha unveiled an interim budget amounting to Rs 1.18 lakh crore for the initial four months of the 2024-25 fiscal year during the assembly session on Thursday. Highlighting Odisha’s economic growth, Minister Arukha emphasized that the state has now surpassed the milestone of being a 100 billion dollar economy.
Happy to receive a copy of #Budget4NewOdisha through a pen drive as part of #GreenBudget initiative. #Odisha is one of the pioneer states to adopt complete e-budgeting & Finance Minister Shri Bikram Keshari Arukha is presenting the budget through a tablet which will be available… pic.twitter.com/gRzRd3yMgc
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) February 8, 2024
The decision to present a vote-on-account instead of a full budget has been attributed to the impending elections for both the Lok Sabha and the Odisha Assembly. This interim budget is designed to address the immediate financial requirements of the state government until the new administration is formed post-elections.
The presentation of the vote-on-account underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring financial stability and continuity of essential services during the transitional period. It allows for the allocation of funds for ongoing projects and essential expenditures without delaying the governance process.
While the budgetary allocation covers a wide spectrum of sectors, including infrastructure, healthcare, education, and rural development, it is expected to serve as a blueprint for the state’s financial management until a new government assumes office.
As the assembly deliberates on the proposed budgetary provisions, stakeholders await further insights into the government’s priorities and strategies for sustaining Odisha’s economic growth trajectory and addressing key developmental challenges in the coming fiscal year.
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