Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to chair meetings of Cabinet and Council of Ministers at Lok Seva Bhawan here on Friday evening.
According to sources, the CM will meet the Council of Ministers at 5.45 pm. The meeting of the Odisha Cabinet will begin at 6pm.
The sources further said that the draft proposal for the Supplementary Budget to be placed during the monsoon session of the Assembly, starting September 22, is likely to be discussed and approved during the meeting. The government is likely to present a Supplementary Budget of around Rs 20,000 crore for the financial year 2023-24.
A number of proposals from the General Administration Department, Sports and Youth Services, Health, Revenue, Panchayatiraj and Drinking Water departments may also get the Cabinet nod.
Earlier, there were reports that the government may place a supplementary budget of Rs 25,000 crore during this session amid speculation of early elections in the state. However, with this possibility waning, the size of the supplementary budget was reportedly scaled down. Provisions are likely to be made for schemes, including ‘Mo Ghara’ and ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’, which were announced after the Budget. An increased allocation for Rs 100 crore Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana, is also likely.
In February, the government had presented its last full-fledged state Budget of Rs 230 lakh crore for the financial year 2023-24, which was the highest ever, with a clear focus on agriculture, health, drinking water and road infrastructure that would give impetus to the rural economy.