Odisha Govt presents Budget for 2019-20

Surjit Kumar Dhal,  Bhubaneswar, Jun 28: Projecting economic growth in the range of 8 per cent to 8.5 per cent, Odisha government Friday presented the annual budget of Rs 1.39 lakh crore for 2019-20 in the Assembly.

                Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari presented the budget with an outlay of Rs 1,39,000 crore which is about 15.8 per cent more than the annual budget (Rs 1,20,028 crore) of 2018-19.

                Pujari presented the annual budget in two parts like Agriculture Budget and General Budget for the 2019-20 fiscal.

                Noting that Odisha’s economy is expected to grow at the rate of 8.35 per cent in 2018-19 surpassing all India growth rate of 7.2 per cent, Pujari said the outlay is proposed to be financed by revenue receipts of Rs 1,15,266 crore and Rs 23,734 crore through borrowings and other receipts.

                The total administrative expenditure is estimated at  Rs 57,310 crore for 2019-20, which includes Rs 25,500 crore for salaries, Rs 13,300 for pension, Rs 6,500 crore for interest payment and Rs 4,840 crore for maintenance of cap[ital assets.

                Total revenue receipts for 2019-20 includes state’s own tax of Rs 33,000 crore, own non-tax revenue of Rs 12,500, state’s share in central taxes of Rs 39,207 crore and Rs 30,559 crore as grants from centre.

                The budget focuses on boosting agriculture production & productivity, expanding irrigation, improving health care, education and skill development, drinking water and others, Pujari said.

                The finance minister said the budget has allocated Rs 23,760 crore for development of SCs and STs for identified schemes followed by Rs 20,714 crore for agriculture and allied sectors.

                Pujari said an outlay of Rs 5,611 crore is made for the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) to 75 lakh farmers while Rs 800 crore has been provided towards interest subvention on crop loans to cooperative as well as commercial banks.

                A total allocation for irrigation sector is Rs 9,713 crore, the finance minister said.

                For continuance of the cheap rice scheme where beneficiaries are given rice at the rate of Rs 1 a kilogram, Pujari has allocated Rs 1028 crore under the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS).

                Apart from NFSA beneficiaries, 23 lakh additional beneficiaries are provided 5 kg rice per month per beneficiary at the rate of Rs 1 a kg under SFSS.

                He said Rs 19,492 crore has been allocated for education & skills sectors while Rs 2,550 crore has been earmarked for Samagra Sikhya Abhiyan and Rs 844 core for Mid-day Meal Scheme.

                While Rs 1,203 crore has been allocated for Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) for 2019-20, Rs 1,365 crore provisions made for National Health Mission and Rs 578 crore for Mukhya Mantri Swasthya Seva Mission.

                Under BSKY which covers 70 lakh families, Pujari announced that budget allocation has been made to raise the annual financial assistance for women to Rs 10 lakh.

                While Madhubabu Pension Yojana got Rs 2,120 crore allocation for 2019-20 and Rs 838 crore has been provided under National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP).

                A higher outlay of Rs 2740 crore has been proposed for rural water supply and Rs 385 crore will be spent on urban water supply.

                The budget allocated Rs 2500 crore for rural component and Rs 300 crore for the urban component of Swachh Bharat Mission.

                Under Housing, for convergence of PMAY Gramin and Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana Rs 4820 crore has been proposed in the annual Budget. Similarly, for women and child development, Rs 3,457 crore has been allocated for various schemes and programmes.

                The budget proposed Rs 500 crore corpus funds to facilitate timely payment of wages under MGNREGA pending receipt of central assistance of the wage component.

                The government proposed a budgetary allocation of Rs 1028 crore for State Food Security Scheme in which 5 Kg rice per month per beneficiary is provided at the rate of Rs 1 per Kg.

                Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik praised the Budget 2019-20 saying that aspirations of people of the state have been reflected in the budget.

                Patnaik said two major manifesto promises– expansion of KALIA scheme and inclusion of all eligible farmers, landless labourers and sharecroppers; and health cover for women up to Rs 10 lakh– have been fulfilled in the budget.

                “I am happy to note that funds have been allocated for Odia University as well as restoration works for FANI. Overall it is a pro-farmer, pro-woman, pro-poor and growth oriented budget,” Patnaik said.