Bhubaneswar: Expenditures in the social sector must be increased to 50% of the total budget to take care of the emerging needs, panelists and community representatives say during the webinar on the “pre-budget consultation – community priorities in the state budget 2022-23”.
Panellists say public health expenditure must rise to 7-8% of the total state budget, with increased emphasis on primary health care.
They emphasize umbrella schemes both for diagnosis and treatment.
Apart from pipe water projects, they emphasized the increase in budget allocations for the formation of water quality monitoring laboratories at blocked block and laboratory testing water levels at the village and Panchayat level.
They further suggest that the government must give a priority in the budget for strengthening the gram of Panchayats, the preparation of a five-year Covid recovery plan, the establishment of the center facilitation of the livelihood of the Panchlayat Level and Social Security Universalization.
They are discussed about increasing allocations for people with disabilities, natural and organic agriculture, the agricultural sector, including irrigation and development of farmers’ capacity, public education systems, gender budgets for women and other problems.
They emphasized that the state must suggest the center for imposition of wealth taxes to individuals and entities that are very rich and use these funds for the development of targeted local areas.