Budget 2022-23 Reveals Odisha FM Pujari's Mega Plan To Win Urban Elections

The Interim Budget presented by Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari on Wednesday reveals how the government works in tandem with the party to design a big win in elections.

The allocation for urban development has posted a big spike only last year and after capturing 70 percent seats in the recently concluded Odisha ULB (urban local bodies) elections, the 2022-23 budget has effected a 14 percent hike for provisioning urban amenities and basic services to citizens dwelling in urban areas.

The Pujari Plot

In the year 2019-20, the actual expenditure on urban development in Odisha had been Rs 2,725 crore. In 2020-21, the Urban Development allocation had been Rs 2,554 cr. The allocation in Budget 2021-22 had been only Rs 2,209 cr.

Post taking feedback from the party over advantage BJD if polls held along with the Panchayat elections, especially when the Opposition is rudderless (mainly BJP) in the State, the Revised Estimates (RE) for Urban Development (Revenue+Capital) for the year 2021-22 had been pegged at Rs 3,461 cr - which means the government had increased its urban spending keeping in the mind the desired outcome at the hustings.

With the plot proving successful and post winning big in the urban elections concluded very recently, the Budget 2022-23 (I) has allocated a sum of Rs 3,964 cr for Urban Development in the State.

The above budget data clearly shows lesser allocation for urban development over the years. However,  the same had posted a sharp rise in 2021-22 (RE) and the rest is history now.

BJD Urban Plan

Here is the PowerPoint presentation of the Budget's push for urban development in Odisha.

• An outlay of Rs138 crore has been made for Urban Sewerage Scheme
• Rs 334 crore provisioned for Odisha Integrated Sanitation Improvement Project
• Rs 251 crore allocated for Urban Sanitation Scheme
• Rs 415 crore for effecting an improvement of Urban Governance.
• Rs 214 crore for town planning under New City Development
• Rs100 crore as Revolving Fund under Jaaga Mission
• Rs 462 crore for PM Awas Yojana -Urban
• Rs 200 crore provisioned for Smart City Development
• Rs 200 crore is earmarked under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
• Besides, around 20 percent of the Rs 2,255cr is earmarked for the BASUDHA scheme, which is meant for providing water supply to urban areas.