BHUBANESWAR: The state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday approved key proposals including the the draft Budget for 2026-27, ahead of the Budget session of the Assembly commencing from February 17.
Briefing reporters on the cabinet decisions which was followed by a meeting of the council of ministers at Lok Seva Bhawan, chief secretary Anu Garg said a total of five proposals were placed before the cabinet, of which four received approval.
She said one proposal of the Finance department pertained to the draft Budget for 2026-27. The detailed Budget proposals will be presented during the upcoming session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
The chief secretary said the cabinet approved three major irrigation packages under the Integrated Anandapur Barrage Project aimed at creating irrigation potential for 60,000 hectares agriculture land in Keonjhar and Balasore districts.
While the barrage, strengthening of the Salandi river system and distribution network for 3,000 hectares through open canals have already been completed, the remaining 57,000 hectares of command area is being taken up through an underground pipeline (gravity flow) system to address delays in land acquisition.
The balance distribution system has been divided into nine packages. Of these, the cabinet cleared three packages covering a combined command area of 15,867.36 hectares in Balasore district.
The first package involves irrigation coverage of 5,765.34 hectares under the Salandi Left Main Canal (SLMC) at an execution cost of Rs 146.17 crore, with an additional Rs 7.69 crore earmarked for five years of operation and maintenance (O&M). The second package, covering 5,177.98 hectares, was approved at a project cost of Rs 107.96 crore, with Rs 5.51 crore towards O&M. The third package will bring 4,924.04 hectares under irrigation at a cost of Rs 105.62 crore, along with Rs 5.31 crore for O&M over five years.
All three works will be executed on an EPC turnkey basis and are targeted for completion within 24 months, Garg said.