Bhubaneswar: The people of Odisha are hopeful for the Budget for the financial year 2022-23 that will be presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today at 11 am.
Reportedly, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had been briefed on nine issues specifically in the interest of the state.
The nine issues include the development of railways, Economic instability, telecommunications infrastructure, National Highway Safety, power, GST arrears and other sectors in the Union Budget.
Earlier in a meeting, Odisha Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari demanded the provision of at least Rs 7,600 crore in the 2022-23 Union Budget for railway infrastructure in Odisha that includes ongoing projects, sanctioning of new lines, and station modernization.
He further requested the development of new railway rake points at Kerjang and Parlakhemundi in Angul and Gajapati districts respectively for handling fertilizers. The rail density in the State at 17 is much lower than the national average of 21 and that of the adjoining states, there is an urgent need for expanding the network, he added.
Besides, Rs 900 crore has been demanded for towers and telecommunications for connectivity to the villages without access to mobile connectivity. The state has also demanded Rs 25,000 crore for the creation of disaster-resilient infrastructure.
The State also expects to receive Rs 5,000 crore for Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) from NABARD.
Notably, the FM will present and read out the budget 2022 at the Parliament through a tab , instead of the bahi-khata.
Ms Kalinga