Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Saturday, sharply rebutted Leader of Opposition and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik’s criticism of the State’s Supplementary Budget, with party MLA Irasis Acharya demanding that the former chief minister present facts on the floor of the Assembly instead of making baseless comments. The BJP MLA, Acharya, said the Supplementary Budget includes adequate allocations for key areas, including agriculture, women and child development, education, and health. Responding to Naveen Patnaik’s charges, the BJP legislator said since the Assembly session is underway, any allegation must be raised on the floor of the House for official scrutiny.

“The former chief minister can come to the Assembly and question us (the BJP government) directly. We are fully prepared to counter all unfounded criticisms. Making statements on social media will not help -- he must present facts,” Acharya said. “When the main budget was presented, we had committed projects worth nearly Rs 2 lakh crore. The Supplementary Budget has an additional outlay of Rs 17,400 crore. Our (BJP) government has always prioritised women, education, and health,” the BJP legislator added. The legislator asserted that Odisha is currently on a strong growth path, noting the State’s annual budget now exceeds Rs 3 lakh crore. “Higher expenditure means higher development. If money is being spent, it clearly shows work is happening,” he said, attributing the increase in outlay to developmental projects.

Naveen Patnaik, through a social media post on Saturday, asserted that the new BJP government’s first Supplementary Budget lacks any major infrastructure initiative or long-term vision, and is disappointing citizens hoping for significant progress in the first full year of office. The former chief minister alleged that the fiscal document pushes Odisha further towards a “fiscal deficit trap”, even as administrative expenditure shrinks and the State’s debt burden continues its upward trend.