Bhubaneswar, Jan. 31: Odisha government expects the Union budget, which will be presented in the Lok Sabha tomorrow, to enhance coal royalty for the states.

Talking to The Telegraph, state finance minister Pradeep Amat said: "There has been no revision of coal royalty since 2012. The state is incurring a huge loss on account of this."

The existing provisions stipulated revision of coal royalty in every three years. It was to be done in 2015 and has been delayed by nearly two years.

The state earns around Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,400 crore per annum from coal royalty and Odisha has taken up the issue of royalty revision with the Centre on several occasions. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

State's steel and mines minister Prafulla Mallick said: "The Centre has already doubled the cess on coal (under the National Clean Energy Fund), but is yet to raise the coal royalty that is affecting our finances."

Medical colleges

Amat, considered to be the number two in the Naveen Patnaik cabinet, said: "Although the Centre had been promising to set up six medical colleges (Koraput, Balangir, Puri, Balasore, Keonjhar and Baripada.), it has not released funds for the projects. We hope Union finance minister Arun Jaitley will make monetary provision for these medical colleges."

Central funds

Amat said the state government had been continuously voicing its concern over the curtailment of funds under various centrally-sponsored projects. "The Centre should increase funds for the projects," he said.

The state has objected to the abolition of eight central schemes that include setting up of model schools and modernisation of the police force.

Information available with the state government shows that 77 centrally-planned schemes are being executed in the state, but the amount of central assistance has been reduced.

Major centrally-planned schemes for which assistance has been curtailed include the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana, Integrated Water Management Plan, National Food Security Mission, Smart City Yojana, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Project Tiger and Integrated Development Plan of Wildlife Habitats.

Amat said that Odisha hopes that the Centre would approve a dedicated freight corridor connecting Vishakhapatnam with Calcutta and one linking the ports of Paradip, Dhamra and Gopalpur with the northern and central hinterlands.

Rail on mind

With the railway budget being presented together with the Union budget for the first time, Amat said: "We expect a fair deal for the state for the growth of railways."

The state has already submitted a memorandum to the Centre seeking a Rs 5,870 crore package for the development of railway infrastructure in the state.

Paddy price

The state government also wants that the minimum support price for paddy should be enhanced. The state wants that the MSP for the paddy should be enhanced to Rs 2,500 per quintal from the existing Rs 1,410 per quintal.

No hope

Senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra said the Union budget would be anti-poor and benefit the rich.

The leader of the Opposition, <>Mishra said: "Leaders used to fooling people by making false promises are not expected to deliver the goods. The upcoming budget is expected to be pro-corporate with nothing substantial for the common man and for the state."