Bhubaneswar: The BJP government in Odisha claimed that the State Budget-2026, tabled in the Assembly today, would fulfill the aspirations of all sections of the people.  

However, Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress criticized the State Budget by highlighting the alleged poor utilization of funds and high debt burden.  

“This is a people’s Budget. It will fulfill the aspirations of all sections of the people. The State Budget-2026 will spur growth in Odisha. It will also help realize the goal of a developed Odisha by 2036,” said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

However, BJD president and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, described the Budget as ‘a full menu in an empty kitchen’.

“What can I say about this Budget? It sounds me like a full menu in an empty kitchen. That is what I feel about this Budget,” stated Patnaik, a five-time former Chief Minister.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das criticized the BJP government for its alleged failure to utilize the funds of the State Budget-2025.

“The state government has utilized only 57 per cent of the funds of Odisha Budget-2025 in the first 10 months of the current financial year. How can it utilize the remaining 43 per cent of the funds in just five weeks? In this scenario, the growth in the size of the State Budget will not serve any purpose,” said Das.

The Congress leader claimed that the public debt in Odisha increased significantly under the BJP government.

“The public debt has reached Rs 91,000 crore in just two years of BJP rule in Odisha. The per capita income has crossed Rs 3 lakh in at least 12 states of India but the figure stood at Rs 1.87 lakh in Odisha,” Das added.

It is worth mentioning here that Chief Minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio, moved a Budget proposal of Rs 3.10 lakh crore for the 2026-27 financial year in the Odisha Assembly today.