Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said the Odisha government should actively pitch for itself to maximise benefits from the Union budget and central schemes.

“There should be a competition among states to draw the best from various central schemes announced in the Union budget. Odisha must make a strong pitch and I hope the state government is working in that direction,” Pradhan told a media conference in Bhubaneswar.

Citing examples, he said Odisha stood to gain significantly from several provisions in the 2024–25 budget, including the proposed development of national waterways on the Brahmani river, which would aid mineral transport across the state.

“Once operational, the waterway will connect the Mahanadi and Brahmani deltas with the East Coast Canal and link industrial regions like Talcher and Angul, providing an efficient alternative for freight movement,” he said.

The Union budget also included a proposal to develop “turtle trails” at nesting sites of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles in Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala. Pradhan said turtles from Odisha’s Gahirmatha and Rushikulya coasts have long deserved greater national attention.

On railway allocations, Pradhan said Odisha had received a significant boost. “Between 2009 and 2014, Odisha was getting an average of ₹1,171 crore annually. But now, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the allocation has risen to ₹10,928 crore,” he said.

He added that Odisha was no longer dependent solely on minerals and mines. “The state is now investing in the new-age economy. There is a tax holiday till 2047 for setting up AI data centres. Odisha recently signed an MoU with a Singapore-based firm in the fintech sector. An AI-enabled ecosystem is being developed here,” he said.

The Union minister also called for Odisha to tap into the “orange economy” — promoting cultural assets such as the Puri Sahi Yatra at an international level.

Pradhan said the state would benefit from a critical minerals and rare earth corridor as well. “A dedicated freight corridor is being developed connecting Dankuni (near Bangladesh) to Surat in Gujarat. It will pass through key districts of Odisha,” he added.

On education, Pradhan said the Union government had earmarked ₹1.39 lakh crore for the sector this year, under which nearly 15,000 schools and over 500 higher education institutions would be covered by the AVGC (animation, visual effects, gaming and comics) sector.

“Odisha can also leverage the upcoming digital knowledge grid. For example, students and visitors may soon be able to experience real-time virtual tours of heritage sites like the Sun Temple in Konark,” he said.