The Odisha government has requested substantial financial support from the Central government for the development of roads and National Highway (NH) projects, estimated at an investment of Rs 41,580 crore.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida raised the demand during a pre-budget consultation meeting of finance ministers from all states and union territories, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on Saturday.
The meeting was organised to seek inputs from the state and union territories for the upcoming Union Budget 2026–27. Representing Odisha, Parida submitted a formal memorandum outlining several critical issues and proposals for the Union Finance Minister’s consideration in the upcoming fiscal plan.
Attend Pre-Budget Meeting with Finance Ministries of States and union territories chaired by union Finance Minister @nsitharaman pic.twitter.com/t1b86j3333
— Pravati Parida (@PravatiPOdisha) January 10, 2026
During the meeting, the Deputy Chief Minister also advocated for federal support under the ‘Purvodaya’ initiative, emphasising the need for an enabling environment for infrastructure development to align with the vision of “Viksit Odisha for Viksit Bharat.”
Furthermore, she called for the incentivization of states that maintain fiscal prudence and requested an increased allocation under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) for the 2026–27 period.
The state government also pushed for a revision of ration cost norms under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) to maintain a consistent supply of high-quality, nutritious food for beneficiaries.
To alleviate pressure on the state’s budget, Parida urged the Union Finance Minister to increase the central share under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) and expand the number of beneficiaries covered under social pension schemes.
Additionally, the Deputy Chief Minister demanded the central government’s assistance to transform major tourist destinations of Odisha into prominent national and international tourism hubs.
The state’s memorandum further included requests for support regarding paddy procurement, the expansion of storage infrastructure, the timely release of funds for Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) projects, and significant capital investment to manage rapid urbanisation.
The Union Finance Minister assured the state that the demands and suggestions presented would be given careful consideration during the budget-making process, an officer said.
