Bhubaneswar, Feb 1: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Sunday welcomed the Union Budget 2026–27 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, describing it as a historic and growth-oriented document with a strong focus on youth empowerment, infrastructure, and regional development.

CM Majhi lauded the Centre’s emphasis on skill development, saying the budget is truly a “Yuva Shakti Budget” that will instill confidence among young people and enable them to contribute meaningfully to India’s growth story. He noted that the Modi government has already introduced 350 structural reforms, accelerating the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat.

The Chief Minister highlighted several key announcements for Odisha, including the establishment of a dedicated rare earth corridor to reduce import dependence and support high-tech sectors such as electronics and renewable energy. He welcomed the operationalisation of National Waterway-5, which will connect mineral-rich Talcher and Angul to Paradip and Dhamra ports, easing logistics pressure on road and rail networks.

CM Majhi also praised the inclusion of Odisha in the East Coast Development Corridor, which will integrate tourism and economic hubs, supported by 4,000 e-buses for public transport. He said the creation of “City Economic Regions” with Rs5,000 crore allocations would strengthen urban clusters like Bhubaneswar–Cuttack–Paradip–Puri.

Other measures welcomed by the Chief Minister include turtle trails along Odisha’s coasts to promote eco-tourism, expanded employment guarantees under the new VB-G RAM G scheme, and support for high-value agriculture such as coconut, cashew, and sandalwood. He also noted the National Critical Mineral Mission’s Rs34,300 crore outlay as vital for securing resources like lithium.

CM Majhi expressed confidence that these provisions will accelerate Odisha’s transformation into a prosperous industrial hub while ensuring balanced development across districts. “This budget is historic in every sense and will help achieve the goal of a prosperous Odisha within a developed India,” he said.