The Budget pertains to the first four months of the next fiscal and on the face of it, it looks like an election-oriented Budget. There is nothing for Orissa in the Interim Budget. As usual, it (the Central Government) has neglected the state. The Interim Budget of the Railways had also ignored the state’s interest. The state government will seek an outlay of Rs 9,500 crore for the next fiscal. If approved by the Planning Commission, the outlay will be Rs 2,000 crore more than the Rs 7,500 crore fixed for the current fiscal. I will meet the Planning Commission in New Delhi and will discuss about the finalisation of the state plan outlay for 2009-10.
Naveen Patnaik, CM, Orissa
