Finance Minister presents draft budget of Rs 15,054.02 crore

The Orissa Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadai has presented a draft budget of Rs 15,054.02 crore for the first four months of the financial year in the assembly. The assembly General Election and Assembly election are round the corner.

The state government has prepared a draft budget for the state. Presenting the draft budget for the four month the finance minister said prominence had been given to poverty eradication, health, irrigation, education, rural development and scholarship for ST and SC students. The government has estimated a budget of Rs 36,744.78 crore for the fiscal year.

As per the budget the state government would spend Rs 120 crore under Biju KBK Yojna, Rs 1153 crore under Accelerated Irrigation benefit programmes, Rs 1133.52 crore for state share of CSP, and the government will also be spending of Rs 500 crore under Rural Infrastructure Development fund for the development of rural infrastructure.

In the budget there is a provision for expenditure of Rs 72 crore and Rs 218.01 crore for Madhubabu Pension Yojana and under planned and non-plan expenditure respectively. The state government also proposed Rs 1 crore for the establishment of Agriculture college at Bhawanipatna and Rs 4 crore to set up Paralal Maharaja Engineering College at Berahampur.

Other highlights of the Budget are:

• Rs 847 .85 crore for supplying Rs 2 per kg rice,
• Rs 165 crore for Gopabandhu Gramin Yojana,
• Rs 100 crore for Rastriya Krishi Vikash Yojana,
• Rs 132.5 crore for Jawaharlal Nehru national Urban Renewal Mission,
• Rs 324 crore for Backward Region Grant fund,
• Rs 21 crore for maintenance of Critical Flood Control Projects,
• Rs 43.31 crore for Recruitment of 4822 Police Constables and sepoys,
• Rs 9.41 crore for Engagement of 2000 Advasi youths as Special Police Officers in Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Kandhamal districts,
• Rs 60 crore for completion of Railway over bridge at Lingaraj Road passenger halt,
• Rs 10 crore for railway over bridge near IIT site and Road to IIT site,
• Rs 2 crore for Jeeban Vikash,
• Rs 3.80 crore for Technical education and quality improvement programme,
• Rs 13.86 crore for special infrastructure for naxal affected areas and
• Rs 3 crore for grant to remote sensing application centre for preparation of Publicity films and Documentaries