The announcement of 20 new inland waterways in the budget, beginning with Odisha, will unlock immense potential for inland transport, trade, and the coastal economy, giving a decisive push to logistics efficiency and regional commerce, said a Odisha BJP leader
Budget 2026: Big push for BJP-ruled Odisha
From waterways, freight corridors to rare earth hubs and tourism, government’s budget positions Odisha as a strategic engine of eastern growth ahead of state polls
The Union Budget 2026-27 has placed the state of Odisha firmly at the heart of India’s growth story, it appears.
The ruling BJP underscored this when Odisha BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal said, “ The Budget reflects a clear and confident vision to transform Odisha into a strategic engine of eastern India’s development.” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day.
The Odisha push
Biswal said the announcement of 20 new inland waterways, beginning with Odisha, will unlock immense potential for inland transport, trade, and the coastal economy, giving a decisive push to logistics efficiency and regional commerce.
In her budget speech, Sitharama said that the government will operationalise 20 new National Waterways (NW) over the next 5 years, starting with NW-5 in Odisha to connect mineral-rich areas of Talcher and Angul and industrial centres like Kalinga Nagar to the Ports of Paradeep and Dhamra.
Further, the BJP leader highlighted the East Coast Freight Corridor in Odisha calling it as a true game-changer. "It will strengthen ports, boost MSMEs, create large-scale employment, and position Odisha as a critical logistics hub in the national supply chain," he asserted.
Also read: Budget 2026-27: Here are 10 key takeaways
The BJP leader said equally significant is the dedicated rare earth corridor, which will establish Odisha as a strategic centre for clean energy, electric mobility, and future-ready industries.
“The focused push on archaeology, coconut, cashew, and tourism will strengthen rural livelihoods, preserve cultural heritage, and accelerate coastal and tribal area development, ensuring inclusive and balanced growth,” he said.
“From infrastructure to innovation, from heritage to high-tech, this Budget clearly puts Odisha on the fast track of Viksit Bharat,” Biswal said.
Mineral facilities
Sitharaman also announced support for mineral rich states of Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to establish critical mineral facilities. Significantly, state assembly elections are to be held in Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well.