Ending speculations hovering around the Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented it for the 9th time yesterday and that too on a Sunday. While no major changes were seen this year, the Budget 2026 allocation for Odisha is highly concerning.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi welcomed it calling it a ‘historic’ one but Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik termed it ‘baffling’. Majhi reacted, “The Centre’s focus on infrastructure development, Rare earth minerals, tourism and employment will help in strengthening Odisha’ s economy and will ensure inclusive growth for all.” He added, it is youth-centric and stresses on skill developed across all sectors with an intent to go global.
Contrary to it, was the LoP’s X post where he expressed his disappointment and said, “budget has offered no noteworthy benefits to Odisha and its people.” Odisha’s exclusion from the seven High-speed Rail corridors proposed in the Budget is a paradox to the investment hopes in Odisha that were sowed by Utkarsh Odisha conclave 2025. The industry development in Odisha may not reach its fullest with such negligence from the Centre.
He welcomed the proposal for the establishment of the Rare Earth Corridor in Odisha but was disappointed about the National Waterways project calling it a “decade old proposal without any progress on ground.”
Citing other proposals in the Budget, he said, “Tourism centric Scheme for Development of Buddhist Circuits has completely skipped Odisha despite having several very important Buddhist sites including our Diamond Triangle. As seen from the entirety of the Union Budget, Odisha is getting allocations only for taking its natural resources away and completely ignored when it comes to resource allocation for benefit of people of the State. It’s time the State BJP Govt takes responsibility for people of Odisha and ensure they get their rightful dues from centre. Odisha and its people deserve more and better from the Union Budget.”
