BJD, Cong calls Odisha Budget for 2024-25 ‘disappointing’

Bhubaneswar, July 26 (IANS) The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress have alleged that there is “nothing new” in the first Budget of the BJP government presented by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the Assembly here on Thursday.
Both parties claimed that the Budget for 2024-25 is a repetition of what the previous BJD government had introduced in the past.Speaking to media persons after the Budget speech, former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik said, “About the state Budget, I would say again that it was a “double-engine, double disappointment”. I noticed that they have just renamed more than 40 of my government’s schemes.”Senior Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati has described the Budget as “anti-poor” and claimed “nothing new” in the Budget.”There is nothing for the development of farmers, women. They only increased the allocation of funds for the existing schemes by 10 to 15 per cent. They have just renamed more than 40 schemes,” alleged Bahinipati.On the other hand, State BJP President Manmohan Samal on Thursday asserted that the Budget has pleased people from all sections of the society.He said that the double-engine government has given priority to the all-round development of Odisha.He thanked and expressed his gratitude to CM Mohan Majhi for the Budget.”The BJP government is committed to the development of Odisha, which is evident in today’s Budget. The first Budget of the new government laid the foundation stone for a ‘Vikashit Odisha’,” Samal added.–IANSgyan/khz