TNI Bureau: Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik expressed strong disappointment over the Union Budget 2026, stating that it has offered no noteworthy benefits to Odisha and its people.

He said the people of Odisha had expected the “double engine government” to provide growth momentum with a focus on infrastructure, job creation and additional allocations due to the state, but Odisha has received very little.

Naveen Patnaik welcomed the proposal to establish a Rare Earth Corridor in Odisha, noting that the state is a leading producer of key minerals and will continue to contribute to nation-building through its rich resources. However, he criticised the repeated announcement of National Waterways to connect mineral-rich areas and industrial centres to ports, calling it a decade-old proposal with no progress on the ground.

He also expressed disappointment that Odisha was excluded from the proposed seven high-speed rail corridors announced as “growth connectors.” He said the Odisha BJP had earlier nipped the Bhubaneswar Metro project, and the neglect of people’s needs continues.

Naveen Patnaik further pointed out that the tourism-centric scheme for development of Buddhist circuits has skipped Odisha despite the state having several important Buddhist sites, including the Diamond Triangle.

According to him, the budget focuses on extracting Odisha’s natural resources while ignoring proper resource allocation for the benefit of the people of the state. He said it is time the state BJP government takes responsibility and ensures Odisha gets its rightful dues from the Centre.