Govt begins pre-budget consultations

Bhubaneswar: With the state planning to present a people-friendly budget ahead of the next assembly elections due simultaneously with Lok Sabha in 2024, the finance department has started pre-budget consultations.
Finance minister Niranjan Pujari chaired a consultation meeting attended by former finance ministers, former finance secretaries besides representatives of Reserve Bank of India and Nabard. “We have got some very constructive suggestions. There were threadbare discussions on many issues. The suggestions will be examined and incorporated to the extent possible,” Pujari said.
The finance minister said suggestions had come for sectors such as social security, agriculture, industry, MSME and infrastructure development. The ideas will be sent to the respective departments for the budget-making exercise, he said.
Sources said the budget is likely to be presented in February first week, after the Union budget is presented.