Bhubaneswar: Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday unveiled a budget of Rs 3.10 lakh crore for the 2026-27 fiscal, pitching it as a roadmap to accelerate growth through stronger social-sector spending, higher capital investment and fast-tracked infrastructure expansion across key sectors.Calling it a budget that “goes beyond numbers”, Majhi, who also holds the finance portfolio, said the proposals combine heavy capital spending with wide-ranging welfare commitments. The capital outlay was fixed at Rs 72,100 crore, accounting for 6.5% of GSDP and 23.3% of the state budget, one of the highest among major states. Majhi said this reflects its push to rapidly scale up infrastructure in both rural and urban Odisha.A major share of the investment is directed at roads, bridges, piped water supply, electrification and rural amenities. The rural development allocation stands at Rs ₹44,309 crore, including big-ticket spending on all-weather roads under Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana, new bridges under Setu Bandhan and the rollout of Mission PoWaR, which aims for universal access to power, drinking water and last-mile connectivity by 2026-27. For full drinking-water coverage, Rs 7,000 crore was earmarked for Jal Jeevan Mission and Rs 1,495 crore under BASUDHA.The budget also outlines an ambitious urban agenda with Rs 10,738 crore for urban development. Majhi announced a Rs 100 crore Chief Minister Smart City Mission, a new scheme, for integrated development of major cities through convergence of schemes and improved delivery of essential services.The Mukhyamantri Sahari Bikash Yojana gets Rs 1,161 crore for urban infrastructure upgrades, while Rs 373 crore will support e-buses and mobility improvements under PM-eBus Sewa. At the core of the budget is a strengthened welfare framework, led by the Rs 10,145 crore Subhadra Yojana for 1 crore women.In a major shift, over 6 lakh left-out beneficiaries will now be covered under the Madhubabu Pension Yojana in saturation mode, ending the earlier vacancy-linked system.Education and skilling received a significant boost with 4 new greenfield universities, new engineering colleges in Paradip and Balangir, and 2 more World Skill Centre campuses. Scholarships, free uniforms and textbooks for ST, SC, OBC and EBC students were also expanded.The health sector gets a Rs 23,182 crore push with 5,000 new IPD beds, 1,000 ICU beds and major upgrades at 3 old medical colleges — SCB, MKCG and VIMSAR.Among the key announcements is a Rs 1,000 crore Shree Jagannath Interpretation Centre in Puri. Big connectivity commitments include the Rs 9,000 crore Berhampur–Jeypore Road, the NaMo Expressway from Paralakhemundi to Ambahona, and the Atal Expressway from Motu to Tiringi.Majhi announced the abolition of professional tax from April 1, 2026, foregoing Rs 320 crore annually, but improving take-home income for salaried and self-employed taxpayers.The govt also launched DALKHAI to curb distress migration through livelihood and infrastructure support. For farmers, the Rs 3,100 per-quintal paddy MSP continues with a Rs 6,088 crore allocation and a Rs 5,000 crore revolving fund. CM-KISAN support and investments in mechanisation, agri-enterprises and cold storage were also expanded.
