Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2024-25 in Parliament today. The Rs 48,20,512 crore budget focuses on various sectors and the Modi government has announced special grants to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, which are the main partners in the current NDA government. However, despite making many promises to the people of Odisha in this election, the BJP has not made any such eye-catching announcements for Odisha. Odisha, which has been facing frequent natural calamities, has been demanding special category status several times in the past. But the central government is not paying heed to it. This time, after the BJP formed the government in Odisha, people thought that the central government will make some good announcements for the state. But that didn’t happen.
The BJP, which formed the government in Odisha for the first time, has once again dashed the hopes and aspirations of the people of the state. Expressing grief over the budget, The Former Cabinet Minister of the State, Shri Ranendra Pratap Swain tweet that “The Budget presented by Hon’ble Finance Minister Smt
@nsitharaman is quite disappointing and seems directionless. Youths were expecting something on jobs, farmers were expecting support for added income, women wanted something on price rise. Moreover, the middle-class has been left high and dry. It is also quite disappointing that unlike Andhra Pradesh and Bihar which got handsome financial packages Odisha was left high & dry. The budget from State’s perspective may be termed as anti-Odisha to say the least. People were expecting much more from the 20-strong contingent of Lok Sabha MPs they have sent to Parliament. Another opportunity lost.”
