During June 2024 to February 2025, the Odisha government borrowed Rs 21,177.99 crore from various sources, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi revealed in the State Assembly on Monday.

In response to a question from BJD MLA Goutam Buddha Das, the chief minister stated that the money was borrowed to pay for a number of welfare and infrastructure projects, some of which are still in progress in different regions of the state.

Breakdown of Borrowings

In his reply to the question, CM Majhi detailed all the sources and the funds borrowed from each of them with the highest of Rs 9,000 crore being open market loans.

1. Rs 9,000 crore from open market loans.

2. Rs 7,149.56 crore from the Central government.

3. Rs 2,750 crore from Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC).

4. Rs 2,370 crore from State CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund).

5. Rs 2,261.16 crore from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

6. Rs 2,352.73 crore from net Provident Fund deductions.

CM Majhi, who also holds the Finance portfolio, emphasized that the loans are allocated to capital-intensive sectors like irrigation, energy, roads, disaster management, and urban infrastructure.

Debt Repayment Efforts

It is worth mentioning that during the same nine-month period, the state repaid Rs 14,970.97 crore of previous loans, reflecting a strategy to balance new borrowings with fiscal responsibility.