Bhubaneswar: The Odisha finance minister, Niranjan Pujhari, Wednesday presented Rs 8126.32 crore Supplementary Budget for the year 2019-20 in the State Assembly amidst uproar by the opposition BJP and Congress.
The BJP and the Congress members rushed to the well of the House and shouted slogans demanding the outcome of the all party meetings. The Congress members were seen sitting below the podium in protest.
The speaker, Surya Narayan Patro, taking into consideration the situation adjourned the House till tomorrow.
Pujhari presented the Supplementary Budget immediately after the House went into business in the after-noon session at 3 PM.
The finance minister, later in a presser, said that emphasis has been given on infrastructure development in the Supplementary Budget. He said while the programme budget is pegged at Rs7432 crore, the administrative expenditure has been fixed at Rs 267 crore. He said while Rs 720 crore has been allocated for roads, Rs.30 crore has been given for urban roads. For Puri Heritage City Rs 30 crore has been provided in the Supplementary Budget.
The finance minister, later in a presser, said that the debt burden of the State has touched Rs 83,307 crore which is 15.4% of the GSDP and within the fiscal discipline parameter. The government has borrowed Rs 3,500 crore from the open market, this fiscal so far.
The finance principal secretary, Ashok Meena, said that there is an attempt to increase the capital expenditure by 5% with this Supplementary Budget.
