Bhubaneswar, Sept 11: The Odisha Assembly on Tuesday passed the Appropriation Bill of Rs 2.65 lakh crore for the financial year 2024-25.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who presented the first budget of the Bharatiya Janata Party government on July 25 after ending the 24-year rule of Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal, emphasized the focus on change, development, good governance, and "Odia Asmita" in the budget. He highlighted the goal of achieving a "Bikashit Odisha" by 2036, marking 100 years of the state's formation as a separate province.

During the debate on the Appropriation Bill, the Chief Minister revealed that the government received 12,000 suggestions, six times more than the previous year. He noted that the 2024-25 budget had met two key criteria: scale and fiscal discipline. The fiscal deficit was pegged at Rs 32,403 crore, or 3.5% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), signaling a healthy economy.

Taking a jab at the opposition BJD, Majhi criticized the much-publicized "school transformation" program of the previous government, claiming that complaints had surfaced regarding its effectiveness. He assured the Assembly that these issues would be thoroughly scrutinized.

Majhi also discussed the new education initiatives introduced in the budget, including the Godabarish Mishra Adarsh Prathamika Vidyalaya scheme and the Panchasakha Shikshya Setu Abhiyan, aimed at improving education infrastructure and quality in Odisha. He accused the previous government of neglecting modern infrastructure and teacher training, leading to a decline in educational standards over the years.

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