Odisha CM Mohan Majhi seeks suggestions from public for the state annual budget

Bhubaneswar 20 June: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has appealed to the people of Odisha to send their suggestions through a dedicated web portal, e-mail, WhatsApp, and SMS for  Annual budget. The inputs will be used by the state finance department in the process of preparing the Annual budget for 2024-25.

The “Finance Department has been holding pre-budget consultations with a cross-section of the society. I am to indicate here that our government is the people’s Government. So there is a need to seek common people’s proposals and opinions for the budget-making process,” read a press release from the Chief Minister’s office.

To make the budgetary process more open and participative using Information and Communication technology (ICT), the Finance Department has initiated obtaining inputs for Budget preparation through the dedicated Budget web portal, e-mail, WhatsApp and SMS.

Now, the Finance Department invites suggestions in a structured format in the Budget web portal https://budget.odisha.gov.in/ to be used as input in the preparation of a full-fledged Annual Budget for 2024-25.

Suggestions can also be sent by email to the address odisha.budget@gov.in.

Similarly, suggestions for budget are also being invited through WhatsApp to the Mobile number (+91) 9438161111, and through social media platforms like X (@FdOdisha), Facebook (@FinanceOdisha) and Instagram (@fdodisha).

This facility will be available from 20th June 2024 till 5th July 2024.

Members of the public, Civil Society organisations, Advocacy Groups and other stakeholders have been also requested to make use of this unique opportunity to participate in the budget-making process of the State Government.

According to BJP sources, the Mohan Majhi  government’s first budget  will focus on strengthening the economy of the state and at the same time will  reflect the aspirations of the people.

It may be noted that on February 8, 2024  the then Odisha Finance Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha had presented the Annual Budget (Vote-on-Account) for 2024–25 in the Odisha Assembly with an outlay of Rs 2,55,000 crore, which is about 11 per cent  more than the Annual Budget, 2023-24.

So the size of the 2024-25 budget which was Rs 2,55,000 crore may not change much as it was 11 per cent more than the 2023-24 budget of Rs 2,30,000 crore. The state government had taken a vote on account of Rs 1,18,000 crore from April to July 2024.