Despite massive mandate to BJP, Odisha left disappointed by Union Budget-2025

ODISHA'S high expectations from the Union Budget on the back of the massive mandate given by the people to BJP in last year's general elections seemed to have come cropper as no specific allocations or special package were announced for the state by Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

- HEMANT KUMAR ROUT @Bhubaneswar

Despite Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's strong push for central support for attaining the goal of Viksit Odisha set by the party, the state found no mention in the Finance minister's budget speech even as targeted interventions were announced for Bihar, Assam, Gujarat, and the northeastern states.

At the pre-budget consultation meeting, presided over by Sitharaman at Jaisalmer on December 20, Majhi had urged her to provide financial support for tourism infrastructure, expedite projects like Sagarmala initiative, East Coast Economic Corridor, National Waterway-5 and enhancing Paradip Port's container handling capacity.