Bhubaneswar, July 12: Ahead of the first budget of the BJP-government in Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday said that they have received over 12,000 suggestions and efforts will be made in the budget to align with the aspirations of the people.
CM Majhi, who also holds the Finance portfolio, chaired a pre-budget consultation meeting for the Annual Budget 2024-25 at Lok Seva Bhawan today and announced that the state budget will be presented in the Assembly on July 25. Several new schemes, including Subhadra Yojana, will be reflected in the budget.
Briefing the media following the media, Majhi said, "As a people's government, we have always prioritized the opinions of the public."
"Accordingly, we sought feedback and I am happy to announce that we have received over 12,000 suggestions through online platforms including WhatsApp, which is six times more than in previous years. The wide participation of the people in the budget preparation process is very encouraging," he stated.
He further noted that the meeting was attended by over 150 people, including members of civil society, field experts, and representatives from various sectors.
"We have received 26 valuable written suggestions from them and will endeavor to incorporate these into the budget," said Majhi adding that the people’s budget will help in building new Odisha.
Former finance ministers Prafulla Chandra Ghadai, Panchanan Kanungo, and Shashi Bhusan Behera, along with former finance secretaries, the Regional Director of RBI, the General Manager of NABARD, and about 26 prominent individuals from various fields, shared their views at the meeting.
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Principal Secretary of the Finance Department Saswat Mishra, and other senior officials of the department.
In addition to the 2024-25 budget, CM Majhi will also present a vote on account for three months. The previous BJD government had presented a vote on account of Rs 1.18 lakh crore for the first four months of the 2024-25 fiscal on February 8. The second vote-on-account will be effective until September 30.
