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Bhubaneswar, March 1: Orissa will get a lot of benefits from the Union Budget, Railway Budget and also from the recommendation made by 14th Finance Commission, the Union government claimed Sunday, just a day after the state government criticised the Centre for ignoring Orissa in the Union Budget 2015-16 presented by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley Saturday.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared that the Central government will give more emphasis to the eastern states, including Orissa, and this has been reflected in the Railway and General Budgets, the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission and the auction of coal mines,” Union petroleum and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Sunday.
Pradhan termed the Union Budget historic and said people of Orissa will directly benefit from the schemes made for common citizens, students and industry.
“The government is always playing politics that the Centre is giving nothing to state, but it did not mention that the Centre is spending about Rs 600 crore for the construction of toilets in 42,000 schools through Central PSUs,” he said.
The Centre may also give an ultra mega thermal power plant project to Orissa, the minister said.
As per the finance panel’s recommendations is concern, the state’s share of the sharable Central taxes has been increased to 42 per cent from the existing 32 per cent. As such, the state will now get Rs 24,416 crore against the existing Rs 16,630 crore, Pradhan said here.
Besides, civic bodies and panchayati raj institutions will get extra funds from the Centre.
“The Centre has given a lot of funds for ongoing and halted railway projects in state. The Railway minister will also announce new trains and projects by the end of this month,” he said.
Similarly, Orissa will get 100 per cent benefit from the auction of coal and other minerals, which may contribute thousands of crores to the state revenue, said the minister.
