Naveen Patnaik Says Andhra, Bihar Gain Big In Budget, But Odisha Ignored

Naveen Patnaik has many complaints over the 2024 Union Budget presented by Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament yesterday. But central to his long list of criticisms is an unfulfilled promise by the BJP to grant special category status to Odisha. The former chief minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief, has launched a scathing critique against the BJP-led NDA government, accusing it of gross negligence and partiality towards Odisha in favour of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. 

Mr Patnaik has alleged that its former ally BJP failed to fulfil its promise of granting special status to Odisha, despite mentioning it in their manifesto before the 2024 state assembly elections. 

"BJP had put special category status in their manifesto as a promise to the people of Odisha, however, this promise has not been considered for Odisha, whereas special packages, allocating crores of funds have been announced for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar in Budget 2024. Along with this, the demand of Odisha for revision of coal royalty, which has been pending for years with the central government has been rejected, because of which the state will lose thousands of crores of revenue every year," Mr Patnaik said. 

The budget, according to Mr Patnaik, has also failed to address the promises made to various sectors within Odisha during the election campaign. He alleged that there was no mention of any significant investments or initiatives in agriculture, MSME, and industry sectors. "Lots of big promises in different sectors were made to the people of Odisha during their election campaign related to the agriculture sector and MSPs. There is no mention of any promise being fulfilled in this Budget. This is a complete neglect of Odisha and her people," he said. 

Odisha, a state frequently battered by natural disasters such as floods and cyclones, had requested a special package for disaster management. Despite the requests, they have been "ignored", while similar demands from other states have been promptly addressed, Mr Patnaik alleged.

In her Budget speech, Ms Sitharaman announced funding allocations for the Polavaram irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh, which Mr Patnaik dubbed impartial. "Allocating more and more funds for Polavaram without sorting out the genuine grievances of Odisha shows impartiality against Odisha," Mr Patnaik claimed. 

Reflecting on the decade-long tenure of the NDA government, Mr Patnaik alleged that despite repeated assurances of focusing on Eastern India, including Odisha, there has been little to show in terms of substantial benefits for the state. 

"There has been nothing substantial for Odisha over the years, and this budget has also been a disappointment for us, however, we shall wait for the details, Mr Patnaik said. "I'm happy to see there is a focus on Tourism for Odisha. I hope it is substantial, and we shall wait for the details to come out. I would say that, along with the people of Odisha, I feel disappointed at the continued neglect of Odisha while the state contributes so much to the country. Leaders of the BJP had given many tall promises during the poll. But there is nothing for Odisha and for its people."

In contrast, the ruling BJP has praised the budget as growth-oriented and beneficial for Odisha. "On behalf of the people of Odisha, I would like to thank the Prime Minister Mr @narendramodi and the Finance Minister Mrs @nsitharaman for giving special importance to the development of Odisha's tourism sector in the current budget and making arrangements to provide the necessary financial support," Chief Minister Mohan Majhi wrote on X.

"The tourism sector including wildlife, marine resources and temple development will contribute significantly to Odisha's economic development, making Odisha a centre of tourist attraction," he added. 

BJD MPs in Rajya Sabha staged a walkout during the budget presentation yesterday, protesting the denial of special status to Odisha. BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra termed Odisha electing 20 BJP MPs to the Lok Sabha, only to be neglected in the budget, as a "punishment".