16 govt depts spent less than 50% of allotted budget, CM tells assembly

Bhubaneswar: With the financial year nearing its end, 16 of the 44 govt departments spent less than 50% of their allotted budget till Jan, while only two departments crossed the 80% mark, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi told the assembly on Monday.

“The chief secretary was reviewing the implementation of flagship programmes and directing departments to step up spending in line with budgeted targets,” Majhi told the assembly in a written reply.


Social security and empowerment of persons with disabilities spent an impressive 82%. It was allotted Rs 9,131.13 crore and spent Rs 7,534.57 crore by the end of Jan. The CM proposed an allocation of Rs 9,610.85 crore for 2026-27.

Although agriculture, education, health, women’s development and ST/SC development remain among the govt’s stated priorities in successive budgets, spending in these sectors remains below 70%, with just two months left for the 2025-26 financial year to close.

The school and mass education department, which received a massive Rs 33,185.71 crore allocation in 2025-26, spent Rs 20,000 crore (60.40%). It was allotted Rs 31,997.53 crore for 2026-27 in the budget presented last week.

Similarly, the higher education department spent only around 57% of its budget — Rs 2,266.75 crore out of the allotted Rs 3,982.66 crore —this financial year. It was allocated Rs 3,664.40 crore for the next fiscal.

The women and child development department spent Rs 9,100 crore of its Rs 15,973-crore allocation, which is around 57% this year. For next year, the govt proposed Rs 16,152.93 crore.

The ST & SC development, minorities and backward classes welfare department spent only 53.38% by Jan 31. It had a budget of Rs 6,967.11 crore but utilised only Rs 3,719.27 crore. It was allocated Rs 6,649.33 crore for the next financial year starting April 1.

The health and family welfare department spent 66.97% — Rs 15,386.91 crore of the allotted Rs 22,975.22 crore. It was allotted Rs 23,182.14 crore for the next fiscal.

The agriculture and farmers’ welfare department spent Rs 10,855.21 crore of its Rs 15,808.29-crore allocation (68.67%). It had a budget of Rs 14,701.39 crore for next year.

MLAs C S Raazen Ekka (Congress), Tankadhar Tripathy (BJP) and Ashwini Patra (BJD) sought details of budget allocations and spending by various departments.