Politics intensifies over Odisha’s share in Union Budget 2025

Political debates are intensifying across Odisha regarding the State’s allocation in India’s first central budget presented under ‘double-engine’ government, sources said on Sunday.

Opposition parties argue that Odisha has been sidelined, with heightened attention directed towards Bihar, allegedly due to its forthcoming elections. In contrast, the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) argues, Odisha's share has increased in comparison to previous years.

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Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has expressed appreciation towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, notably mentioning that Odisha is expected to receive approximately Rs 64,408 Crore through the Centre’s tax devolution, marking an increase of around Rs 9,000 Crore from the previous budget.

In the realm of housing, the State is poised to gain a more substantial portion of Rs 54,832 Crore allocated for the country, promising significant advancements in housing provisions.

Moreover, the budget sets the allocation for Jal Jeevan Mission at Rs 67,000 Crore, tripling previous figures and foreseen to greatly benefit Odisha. An additional commitment includes a capital investment allocation of Rs 15.5 Lakh Crore targeted towards job creation.

Though the budget aims to cater predominantly to the middle class, it also outlines priorities for the poor, youth, women, and farmers. Yet, both the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress have criticised the BJP-led government’s budget.

The BJD points to a lack of consideration for Odisha, attributing this to alleged perception towards Bihar due to electoral reasons.

“If any state has been ignored in this budget, it is Odisha. Provisions have been made in the budget by keeping in mind the political interests. As the election is to be held in Bihar, it became the ‘son-in-law’. We are not opposed to any state being given more funds; but, why this step-motherly attitude towards Odisha?” BJD’s Prasanna Acharya questioned.

Concerns from Congress highlight an absence of distinctive arrangements for Odisha and the omission of long-awaited dedicated State grants. Particularly sensitive is the lack of allocated funds for disaster management, an area where Odisha frequently faces challenges.

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“Funds sourced from Odisha are being spent in packages elsewhere. We had expected, at least our State would get a special package,” Congress leader Panchanan Kanungo said.

The BJP stands firm, defending the budget against these claims.