Odisha approves supplementary statement of Rs 9829 crore for current fiscal year

BHUBANESWAR: With focus on infrastructure development, the state government would present supplementary statement of expenditure worth Rs 9829 crore for the 2017-18 fiscal year.
The supplementary statement would be in addition to state’s original budget for 2017-18 of over Rs 1.06 lakh crore, official sources said.
The council of ministers meeting led by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday approved the supplementary statement which would be presented by finance minister Shashi Bhusan Behera in the state assembly on November 30.
"Emphasis has been given to all departments including sports and youth affairs, panchayati raj and water resources. The council of ministers approved the supplementary budget of Rs 9829 crore,” Behera told reporters after the meeting.
Behera said provision has also been made for several public welfare schemes introduced by the state government recently and few others for which the Centre has curtailed allocation.
Though details of the supplementary budget are kept under the wrap, sources said financial provision has been made for the Nabakrushna Choudhury Secha Unnayan Yojana, a scheme for revival of the canal system. The scheme was approved by the state cabinet on Wednesday.
Keeping in mind the government’s commitment to convert all kutcha houses into pucca houses, government has given a substantial amount has been given under the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana.
The supplementary statement would also focus on agriculture and allied sectors in view of the crop loss due to drought, pest attack and unseasonal rain.
As the state government has already announced to fulfill demands of block grant teachers and anganwadi workers, fund provision would be made for them in the supplementary statement.
The winter session of the state assembly is scheduled to start from November 28 and will continue till December 30.
After presentation of the supplementary statement, demands for various state government departments and allocation in the supplementary budget will be discussed for three days on December 7, 8 and 11. The appropriation bill will be moved on December 12.