Naveen Patnaik Says Odisha “Largely Ignored” in Union Budget 2026–27

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday expressed disappointment over the Union Budget 2026–27, alleging that Odisha has been largely overlooked in terms of developmental allocations.

In a post on social media platform X, Patnaik said people of the state had high expectations from the “double engine” government, particularly in areas such as infrastructure growth, employment generation and enhanced central funding. However, he remarked that the state has received “very little” in the latest Budget.

While welcoming the Centre’s proposal to establish a Rare Earth Corridor in Odisha, Patnaik underlined that the state remains one of the country’s leading producers of key minerals and continues to play a crucial role in nation-building. He suggested that this contribution should be matched with greater investment for the state’s development.

The former chief minister also criticised the slow progress of long-pending infrastructure initiatives. Referring to the National Waterways project aimed at linking mineral-rich regions and industrial centres to ports, he described it as a “decade-old proposal without any ground-level development.”

Patnaik further voiced disappointment over Odisha not being included in the Centre’s plan to develop seven High-Speed Rail corridors to accelerate regional growth. He also recalled that the Odisha BJP had earlier opposed the Bhubaneswar Metro project, adding that the neglect of people’s needs appears to be continuing.

Raising concerns in the tourism sector, Patnaik pointed out that Odisha was left out of the Union Budget’s tourism-focused scheme to develop Buddhist circuits, despite the state being home to several major Buddhist heritage sites, including the historic Diamond Triangle.

Summing up his criticism, Patnaik said the Budget suggests Odisha is being considered mainly as a source of natural resources rather than a beneficiary of developmental spending. He urged the state government to take up the matter strongly with the Centre to secure a fair share of allocations.

“The people of Odisha deserve more and better from the Union Budget,” he added.