Malkangiri, 30/3/26: A special program called We Know Our Budget has been held at the district council conference room to inform the public about the state government’s budget and strengthen administrative transparency. The meeting was presided over by Additional District Administrator Somnath Pradhan and was attended by various heads of departments and Panchayatiraj representatives of the district. District Panchayat Officer Saroj Kumar Pradhan was present at the beginning of the program and read out the guidelines or standard operating procedures of the campaign. There was a detailed discussion on how to have the participation of the common people from budget preparation to its implementation. Presiding over the meeting, Additional District Magistrate Mr. Pradhan said, “Proper management of the budget is very important for the successful implementation of every scheme of the government.” Only when ordinary citizens know about the budget can they claim for the development of their locality. He informed that all the people from rural to urban areas will be involved through this campaign. Local representatives and public opinion will be given importance in the budgeting process. Emphasis has been placed on the new regulations for transparency of budget expenditure at the panchayat level. It has been decided to organize such an awareness program in each block of the district in the coming days. In this meeting, various departmental officials including Deputy Collector Bimal Kumar Lenka were present and shared information about the budget allocation and targets of their respective departments.