BHUBANESWAR:As the State is reeling under a severe financial crisis, the Council of Ministers on Friday reportedly approved a Budget of Rs 85,450 crore for 2015-16, an increase of only Rs 5,300 crore from 2014-15.
Sources revealed that non-plan expenditure has been estimated at Rs 44,450 crore while the State’s annual plan has been fixed at Rs 41,000 crore, marginally higher than last year’s Rs 40,810 crore. The meeting was presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Highlight of the Budget, to be presented by the State Government in the Assembly on February 16, is a special provision of Rs 500 crore for Nabakalebara festival. A provision has also been made for all major Jagannath temples in the State because of Nabakalebara festival.
Besides, 77 urban local bodies (ULBs), which were left out of the National Urban Livelihood Mission, would be brought under a new scheme ‘Odisha Urban Livelihood Mission’ to be launched by the State Government soon. This will be State-funded scheme.
The State Cabinet, which also met on Friday, accepted the report of the Fourth State Finance Commission. The Commission has recommended sanction of Rs 740 crore for the ULBs for improvement of their services to citizens.
Besides, the report has also recommended fiscal empowerment of rural bodies. The two-volume report has focused on services in local bodies, assessment of finances of Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies, recording of good practices and e-governance.
The Cabinet also approved a proposal to provide 20 acres of land for establishment of Navodaya schools each at Malkangiri and Nuapada districts at premium of Rs one. Besides, another proposal to provide four acres of land for establishment of a Central school at Koraput was also cleared.