Council of ministers approves draft budget of Rs 3L cr

Bhubaneswar: A meeting of the council of ministers chaired by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday approved the draft budget proposal of over Rs 3 lakh crore for 2026-27, sources said.The budget session of the assembly will begin on Feb 17, while Majhi — who also holds the finance portfolio — is scheduled to present the state budget on Feb 20. Chief secretary Anu Garg said details of the approval given by the council will be revealed in the assembly.
Sources said the upcoming budget will prioritise farmers' welfare and women's empowerment, along with allocations for the newly launched Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri-Paradip Economic Region (BCPPER). The Centre has committed Rs 1,000 crore per year for five years for the project under the Union Budget, and the state govt is expected to make parallel allocations to help BCPPER evolve into a $500 billion economic hub by 2047, up from the current $22 billion and the projected $35-45 billion target by the end of the govt's current term in 2029. The budget is also likely to push large-scale job creation across agriculture, MSMEs, tourism, technology and green energy sectors. Youth skilling and employability programmes aligning education with industry demand will be a central component of the employment strategy. On the rural front, improving irrigation coverage, expanding water access, encouraging diversified agriculture, and strengthening agro-industry and cold-storage infrastructure are expected to be key thrust areas. Substantial allocations are also expected for education and human capital development, including strengthening schools and colleges, boosting STEM education for girls, and expanding vocational and technical training linked to industry needs. Tourism — particularly eco-tourism and heritage-focused initiatives — is also expected to receive renewed attention as the state pushes to expand both domestic and international footfalls. A cabinet meeting followed by the meeting of council ministers also approved three tenders of Rs 146 crore, 107 crore and Rs 105 crore for the integrated Anandpur barrage project for irrigation in Balasore district.