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Naveen Patnaik Slams Guv's Budget Session Address As 'Long On Words, Short On Action'

Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik came down heavily on the Mohan Majhi government following Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati's address on the first day of the budget session of the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday. "The honourable governor's speech was long on words but short on action," he told reporters, noting that the government could be described as being "short on work". Responding to incidents of mob lynching across the state, Naveen said the law and order situation under the BJP government is in a dreadful state. "Nowhere in the country, in the whole of India, you get such reports of violence and lawlessness," the former CM said, emphasising that he has been raising the issue of failing law and order "time and again". BJD MLA Arun Sahoo also dismissed the budget speech as mere rhetoric devoid of substance. "The two-hour speech can be reduced to two minutes of zero results with the government even failing on public spending," he said, pointing to stalled development work across both urban and rural areas of the state. The BJD leader went on to condemn the speech, describing it as "replete with lies". Congress, which staged a walkout during the Governor's address in the Assembly, pointed out alleged inconsistencies between the Governor's speech and the government's actions. "The Governor says paddy is being procured at Rs 3,100 per quintal, while the government earlier spoke of procurement limits. SC/ST scholarships for higher education are not reaching students, roads remain poorly built, anganwadi centres are grappling with serious issues," Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam said, accusing the BJP government of fostering divisive politics. THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS In his address to the Odisha Legislative Assembly, the Governor presented a detailed roadmap outlined in the state's long-term Vision Document, emphasising a sharp increase in per capita income from the current Rs 1.8 lakh to Rs 32 lakh by 2047. The Vision Document, which has been shaped through extensive public consultations and aligns with national goals like Viksit Bharat, projects Odisha achieving a US$500 billion economy by 2036, marking 100 years of statehood, and expanding dramatically to US$1.5 trillion by 2047. Governor Kambhampati highlighted that this would boost Odisha's contribution to India's national GDP from the current 3% to 5%, driven by an acceleration in average annual growth from around 7% to 9.5%. He stressed that increased productivity in agriculture, industry, and services would contribute to higher per capita income. Industrial & Economic Transformation Odisha is positioning itself as an emerging semiconductor hub to strengthen technological self-reliance and advanced manufacturing. The state leads India's steel sector with 55 operational steel plants having a combined capacity of 45.62 million tonnes, accounting for 23 per cent of national production. "The state is preparing to supply 100 million tonnes of steel by 2030," he added. Revenue from the minor minerals sector has grown significantly from Rs 1,195 crore (2022-23) to Rs 1,776 crore (2024-25). "Under the Make in Odisha initiative, 85 major projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore have been launched. These projects are expected to create 1.65 lakh direct jobs, with broader initiatives projected to generate around 4.65 lakh employment opportunities across sectors," he noted. Infrastructure initiatives, such as the Rameshwar-Paradip Coastal Highway, are poised to improve connectivity, spur trade, and drive industrial growth across regions. "The state is focussing on large-scale modernisation of road and transport networks to accelerate economic growth and trade. Improved connectivity to industrial hubs, ports, and rural regions will support balanced regional development," he said, emphasising the focus on integrated infrastructure planning to enhance logistics efficiency and investment attractiveness. Highlighting Odisha's commitment to climate action, he said the state plans to install 10 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 through solar, wind and advanced energy storage to meet net-zero goals. Agriculture & Social Advancements Beyond economics, the vision integrates social advancements, aiming to reduce multidimensional poverty to 5%, eradicate anaemia and malnutrition, and push life expectancy above 80 years, ensuring growth benefits all citizens equitably. "The focus on per capita income guarantees that economic expansion delivers tangible improvements in people's lives," he emphasised. He also mentioned plans on modernising farming practices and promoting value-added processing. "Farmers' incomes have increased through schemes such as Samruddha Krushak Yojana and CM Kisan, with over Rs 8,000 crore spent on income support. Crop production touched a record 150.48 lakh metric tonnes in 2024-25, nearly three times higher than in 2000-01. More than 6.40 lakh new beneficiaries have been added to food security schemes, while the state continues to distribute rice to over 12.36 lakh families under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana." Women Empowerment & Education The Governor noted that complementary investments in education, healthcare, and skill development will further enhance earning potential and quality of life. A major focus is on boosting women's workforce participation to 70%, which is expected to substantially lift household incomes. "The government has achieved significant progress in women's empowerment, creating more than 16.42 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis' since assuming office. Through the Subhadra scheme, over Rs 1,500 crore has been distributed to more than one crore women beneficiaries," he said. Under the Mamata scheme, Rs 3,767 crore has been transferred directly to 68.42 lakh pregnant and lactating women, he said, informing about plans to integrate it with the PM Matru Vandana Yojana from April 1, 2025. The Governor announced the launch of the Aspirational Godabarish Adarsha Primary School Scheme, under which Rs 12,000 crore will be spent over four years to upgrade 2,200 schools with modern classrooms, digital tools and sports facilities. Under the National Education Policy, the age of admission to Class I has been fixed at 6+ years. More than 45,000 pre-primary "Shishu Batika" classes have been introduced, enrolling nearly 3.2 lakh children aged 5-6. The state adopted the National Curriculum Framework with local contextualisation in January 2025, with revised textbooks to be implemented from Classes I to VIII from the 2026-27 academic year. Scholarship support has been expanded, with Rs 760 crore sanctioned for pre-matric scholarships and Rs 532 crore for post-matric scholarships for SC, ST, OBC and EBC students in 2025-26. Other Mentions The Governor said Maoist activity is steadily declining, with 48 Maoists neutralised, 78 arrested and 82 surrendered in the last five years. Crackdowns on illicit liquor and narcotics have led to thousands of arrests. The Chief Minister's grievance cell resolved 94 per cent of complaints received between June 2024 and December 2025. The Governor concluded by underscoring the inspirational milestones ahead: "When Odisha completes 100 years in 2036, it must stand tall with pride and prosperity," positioning the state as a vital growth engine for a developed India by 2047.

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