Ranchi, February 24: The Jharkhand government, led by Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, presented a budget of ₹1,58,560 crore for the financial year 2026-27 in the assembly on Tuesday. This ‘Abua Disha Budget’ is described as focused on inclusive, sustainable, and welfare-oriented development under Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s leadership.
The finance minister emphasized that this budget reflects the commitment to wipe the tears of the poor and bring smiles to every citizen’s face. He termed it a document that advances the vision of “Abua Jharkhand” (Our Jharkhand), aiming to deliver development to the last person in the state. The previous year’s budget for 2025-26 was ₹1,45,400 crore, marking an approximate nine percent increase this time. The government prioritized social sectors, agriculture, women’s empowerment, and infrastructure. During the budget speech, the finance minister accused the central government of reducing financial support.
He stated that the state received about ₹16,000 crore less in tax share and grants, including around ₹5,000 crore in tax shares and ₹11,000 crore in grants. The rationalization of GST rates has caused an annual loss of approximately ₹4,000 crore to the state. The implementation of a 60:40 ratio in MGNREGA has added an extra burden of ₹5,640 crore on the state. He also mentioned that coal companies owe ₹1.36 lakh crore.
Despite these challenges, the state government has not halted employee salaries and allocated ₹13,000 crore for the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana. The state’s own revenue is projected to increase from ₹25,521 crore in 2019-20 to ₹66,700 crore in 2026-27. The budget allocates the highest provisions for women’s welfare and social security schemes.
Under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana, ₹14,065.57 crore is earmarked to provide ₹2,500 per month to women aged 18 to 50. Additionally, ₹3,517.23 crore will be spent on the Sarvajan Pension Scheme and ₹1,463.58 crore on National Pension Schemes. The total budget for the Women and Child Development Department is set at ₹22,995.69 crore, with ₹7,990.30 crore allocated for the health sector. A special scheme for cancer treatment will be launched with a budget of ₹200 crore, and the goal is to open 750 “Abua Dawakhana” clinics.
To strengthen the agriculture sector, the allocation for the Birsa Seed Production Scheme has been increased to ₹145 crore. Provisions include ₹475.50 crore for soil and water conservation schemes, ₹75 crore for solar energy-based irrigation, and ₹80 crore for agricultural equipment distribution. ₹400 crore will be spent on crop insurance schemes. For rural development, ₹12,346.90 crore has been allocated, with ₹4,100 crore earmarked for the “Abua Awas Yojana.” Additionally, ₹66 crore will be spent to promote products from women’s self-help groups under the “Palash” brand.
In the education sector, ₹16,251.43 crore has been allocated for primary and secondary education, while ₹2,564.45 crore is designated for higher and technical education. Announcements were made to promote model schools and digital education. The total budget includes ₹1,20,851.90 crore for revenue expenditure and ₹37,708.10 crore for capital expenditure, with an 8.5 percent increase in capital expenditure expected to accelerate road, irrigation, electricity, and drinking water projects. The fiscal deficit is estimated at ₹13,595.96 crore (2.18 percent of GSDP), while the debt-GSDP ratio is set at 25.3 percent.
Leave a Comment