Union Budget 2025 is An Affront to 4.5 Crore People of Odisha: BJD

New Delhi: BJD MP Dr. Sasmit Patra on Thursday strongly criticized the Union Budget 2025, terming it an affront to 4.5 crore people of Odisha.

Speaking in Rajya Sabha during a discussion on Union Budget 2025, the BJD MP raised the issue of Special Category Status for the State.

“This is not just neglect—this is an affront to four and half crore people of Odisha!”, Patra said.

Reminding the Odisha BJP’s promise of Special Category Status for Odisha in 2014, the BJD MP asked, “Eleven years later, where is that promise? Where is that status? Where is the justice?

BJD President Naveen Patnaik has been constantly demanding Special Category Status for Odisha over the past two decades. The four and a half crore people of Odisha are hopeful that the state will be provided Special Category Status but it hasn’t happened so far in this Budget, Patra said.

The BJD MP said, “Odisha is the economic backbone of this nation—our coal, our iron ore, our minerals fuel India’s progress—yet when Odisha asks for its fair share, this government turns its back! We suffer cyclones and natural disasters—year after year—yet Delhi refuses to recognize our pain!”

This Budget showers favors on some, ignores others, and treats Odisha like an afterthought! Is Odisha only good enough to extract mines, minerals, coal and wealth from, but not worthy of support for special category state status?

“Odisha’s resilience must be rewarded, not overlooked. If we expect our state to rebuild after every catastrophe, while continuing to fuel India’s growth, then we must ensure it receives the support it deserves”, the BJD MP further stated.