Odisha budget 2023-24: Major highlights and allocations for important sectors

The Odisha government on Friday presented a full-fledged budget of Rs 2.3 lakh crore for the financial year 2023-24. The budget was presented by state finance minister Niranjan Pujari in Odisha Assembly.

According to Pujari, Odisha is among the very few states that are revenue surplus and capable of large-scale investments in people-centric and growth-oriented programmes. Odisha, the only state in the country that has been fully compliant with Odisha Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, 2005 since its enactment.

The finance minister further said that Odisha has been able to keep the administrative expenditure under control at Rs.94,000 crore in 2023-24.

“We have proposed to increase our Programme Expenditure by 25% to Rs.1,25,000 crore in 2023-24. This amounts to a phenomenal and unprecedented increase of 67% in Programme Expenditure over a period of just two years,” said Pujari.

Allocation For Important Sectors

Rs 16,048 crore for Health sector (27% increase)

Rs 30,030 crore for Education and Skills (10% increase)

Rs 38,437 crore for SCs and STs development (18% increase)

Rs 13,215 crore for Piped Water (58% increase)

Rs 24,829 crore for Agriculture & allied sector (21% increase)

Rs 680 crore for Tourism (15% increase)

Rs 19,452 crore for Roads, Bridges, Airports and Railways (34% increase)

Rs 1,217 crore for development of Sports (34% increase)

Rs 7,914 crore for Urban Development (9% increase)

Rs 356 crore for E & IT (18% increase)

Rs 6,224 crore for Mission Shakti, W&CD (12% increase)

Rs 219 crore for Handloom, Textiles & Handicrafts sector (8% increase)

Rs 1358 crore for Industries and MSME (7% increase)

Rs 8,130 crore for Internal security and justice (8% increase)

Rs 3,700 crore for Disaster Risk Management (13% increase)

Rs 7300 crore for transfer to Local Bodies