The budget session of the Odisha Assembly began on Friday with an address by governor Ganeshi Lal to the members of the House.

With the Covid graph showing a downward trend, most of the members including chief minister Naveen Patnaik attended the session. During the past one year, Naveen had attended the House in the virtual mode as per the guidelines of Covid-19.

During his speech, governor Ganeshi Lal lauded the efforts of people in fighting the corona pandemic. “From Asha (Accredited Social Health Activist), anganwadi workers, to health professionals, teachers, students, farmers, entrepreneurs, the real strength of Odisha people was on full display during the pandemic,” the governor said, adding that his government puts focus on improving the health care facilities.

The governor also presented a rosy picture on the state’s development including how the state turned into a power surplus state and how steps are being taken for the development of infrastructure development in the state.

The budget session that began on Friday will conclude on March 31. Finance minister Niranjan Pujari will present the state’s budget on March 30 for the year 2022-23.