Odisha presents supplementary budget of Rs 7,144 crore

BHUBANESWAR: Amidst pandemonium by opposition Congress MLAs, Finance Minister Prasanna Acharya today presented the supplementary budget of Rs 7,144.58 crore with provision of more than Rs 2,000 crore for restoration and rehabilitation of the cyclone and flood hit people.

"The state government has made provision of spending Rs 2,074.36 crore for reconstruction and rehabilitation in the cyclone affected areas and Rs 30 crore in flood affected areas," Acharya told reporters after presenting the supplementary budget.

While the gross amount of the budget has been fixed at Rs 9,421.25 crore, the net budget stands at Rs 7144.58 crore. The government will spend Rs 12 crore for repair of buildings and structures and Rs 30 crore will be given for school uniform and book purchase that will be provided to the natural calamities affected areas.

It will also spend Rs 8 crore for repair of restoration of river embankment. Rs 94.45 crore has been allocated to set up police stations in Naxal affected areas in the state.

Replying to a question, Finance department additional chief secretary U N Behera said "We will get Rs 3,507 crore from tied up funds, Rs 796.70 crore from different adjustments, Rs 2641 crore from savings and Rs 200 crore from additional revenue generation."

Behera said the state government was expecting release of Rs 1,800 crore from NDRF and Rs 274.36 crore from SDRF. "This apart, we expect assistance of Rs 200 crore from World Bank and ADB (construction of multipurpose cyclone shelters, construction of houses, coastal shelter belt plantation, saline/river embankments and cyclone proofing of power infrastructure)," Behera said.

This apart, Acharya said the supplementary budget has provision of Rs 233.56 crore as Odisha's share in cost of land in the Ultra Mega Power Plant at Bedabahal.

However, the opposition Congress claimed that the state government has utterly failed to mobilise resources. "The supplementary budget is totally dependant on the Central funding and assistance from World Bank and ADB," said Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan.