BHUBANESWAR: The winter session of the Assembly will begin on Thursday without any Covid-19 restrictions after a gap of two and a half years. Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari will present the first supplementary budget for 2022-23 financial year on the first day of the session.
Official sources maintained that the size of the first supplementary budget will be around `16,500 crore with major thrust on rural development, drinking water, agriculture, health and family welfare and schemes announced by the state government during the last six months.
In the supplementary budget, high impact new capital projects and announcements made by the government at different times for livelihood enhancement of poorer section of people will be fully funded. Besides, focus will be on funding of poverty reduction programmes, crop diversification, education and skill development announced by the government.
The state cabinet on November 18 had approved a budget of `929.55 crore for three years from 2022-23 for implementation of crop diversification programme. Sources said that around `300 crore will be provided in the supplementary budget for implementation of the programme in 2022-23.
Renovation and beautification of different temples and shrines will be another focus area in the supplementary budget. Sources said that around `100 crore will be allocated for this programme in the supplementary budget as master plans for beautification of different temples have been approved by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Besides, the supplementary budget will also be an exercise for re-prioritization of the budget in which the administrative departments will be allowed to augment the provision. Discussion on demand for grants on statement of expenditure will be held on November 30 and December 1.
The Appropriation Bill on the first supplementary statement of expenditure will be presented on December 2.The supplementary budget outlay was `11,200 crore and `19833 crore in 2020-21 and 2021-22.