Bhubaneshwar: In a pointed address during the budget discussion, the Opposition Leader Naveen Patnaik both praised and criticized the BJP-led government. While he congratulated them on presenting the new budget, he argued that the government’s performance is taking Odisha in the wrong direction compared to the earlier progress made by the BJD.
The leader recalled that under the previous Biju Janata Dal government, Odisha not only achieved a robust growth rate of 10 percent but also succeeded in lifting millions out of poverty. In contrast, he claimed that the current administration’s policies have led to a decline in growth to 8 percent.
He pointed out that when inflation is taken into account, the budget increase, from 2.77 lakh crores to 2.90 lakh crores, amounts to a diminished real growth, suggesting that the government is struggling to expand the state’s revenue base.
Naveen Patnaik further criticized the mounting fiscal pressures, noting that the state’s open market loan burden has now exceeded 46 thousand crores.
According to him, the growing per capita loan liabilities are poised to drain the state’s finances, limiting resources available for essential development and welfare projects. He warned that the promise of a “double benefit” from the so-called Double Engine Government has, in reality, translated into a “double misery” for Odisha.
The Opposition Leader also took aim at several development projects in the budget. Despite plans for a Comprehensive City Road Decongestion Plan aimed at easing Bhubaneswar’s traffic woes, he highlighted that funding for the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Project has been reduced.
Additionally, he questioned the renaming of the “Skilled in Odisha” initiative to “Skilled for the World,” arguing that the change underscores the government’s inability to generate adequate local employment opportunities.
Addressing social welfare, Naveen Patnaik expressed disappointment over the handling of the Mission Shakti scheme. The government’s promise of twenty-five lakh “Lakhpati Didis” by 2027, he noted, has not been matched by transparency or accountability, citing the absence of a submitted list of beneficiaries as previously demanded. Instead, the allocation for the scheme has been slashed, deepening the concerns of protesting Mission Shakti mothers demanding their rightful share.
Concluding his remarks, the Opposition Leader credited the previous BJD government for endowing Odisha with robust fiscal health, a legacy that continues to support development projects through the state’s own tax revenues rather than reliance on central handouts. He wrapped up his address with a popular saying in Odia, “ବସ୍ତାନି ଭାରି କିନ୍ତୁ ପାଠ ଘର ଶୂନ.”
