Bhubaneswar, Feb. 20 -- Leader of Opposition and BJD Supremo Naveen Patnaik on Friday strongly criticized the Odisha Budget 2026-27 presented in the Assembly by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, likening it to "a full menu in an empty kitchen." In a statement issued here, Patnaik expressed deep disappointment, alleging that the so-called "Double Engine Government" is steering the state in the reverse direction despite promising transformative development for the people of Odisha.
Patnaik remarked that under the present government, every newborn child in Odisha would effectively carry a per-capita loan burden of nearly Rs.30,000.
He warned that the state's total debt is expected to soon reach Rs.1,30,000 crore, a development he said could...