Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi presented a supplementary budget of Rs 12,156 crore for 2024-25 fiscal in the State Assembly on Tuesday. In this additional budget, the government has designated Rs 125 crore for the organization of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, scheduled to take place in Bhubaneswar in January, 2025.
Additionally, Rs 299 crore has been allocated for the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces within the state for this financial year. The government has set aside Rs 1,056 crore as the state’s contribution to the National Health Mission (NHM) program. Furthermore, an extra Rs 644 crore has been allocated for the Gopabandhu Jana Arogya Yojana, the state’s premier healthcare initiative.
For the Special Central Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure scheme, which aims to enhance the states’ capital expenditure, the state government has allocated Rs 1,750 crore. The supplementary budget also includes an additional Rs 1,196 crore for the Subhadra Yojana, a welfare program designed to financially empower women in the state aged between 21 to 60 years.
The government has committed Rs 130 crore to establish a Centre of Excellence in 22 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the state, in collaboration with Tata Technologies Limited. The state has also earmarked Rs 300 crore for loans to Public Sector Units under the state’s Energy Department in the supplementary budget.
Furthermore, Rs 196 crore has been allocated for transfers to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) following the State Finance Commission (SFC) award in the Supplementary Statement of Expenditure for 2024-25.
Lastly, the supplementary budget includes Rs 338 crore for the Madhubabu Pension Yojana, as presented in the state Assembly on Tuesday.
The government has allocated Rs 51 crore for the installation of CCTV surveillance systems in police stations and outposts. This move comes after the state government faced significant criticism for the lack of CCTV cameras, highlighted by the alleged assault on an Army officer and his fiancée at the Bharatpur Police Station in Bhubaneswar.
Additionally, the state government has earmarked Rs 120 crore for disaster risk mitigation in the Supplementary Statement of Expenditure for 2024-25, aimed at modernizing and expanding Fire Services.
The state government has declared that the Supplementary Statement of Expenditure for 2024-25 complies with the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, as the provisions have been made against a resource backup through adjustments against savings, surrender, or additional revenue.
Furthermore, the state government has announced in the supplementary budget that the capital outlay for 2024-25 will surpass 6% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), including the supplementary provision. This is expected to stimulate economic growth while allowing the state to continue various developmental and welfare programs.