Document for ‘Viksit Haryana’, says Saini; directionless, hits back opposition

Chandigarh: Claiming that Haryana will be a $1-trillion economy by 2047, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday made it clear that the state's 2026-27 budget was not merely a statement of income and expenditure, but a vision document for building a ‘Viksit Haryana'.On the other hand, opposition parties termed it a directionless, visionless document full of lies and fiction.Saini, while presenting the budget, said Haryana Vision Document-2047 will serve as a roadmap to a developed state, claiming that it was prepared after comprehensive consultation with stakeholders. "A total of 2,199 suggestions were received through meetings held with various sections across the state, while nearly 12,400 suggestions were received through an AI chatbot. Out of these, approximately 5,000 suggestions were incorporated into the budget proposals. This is truly a people's budget, shaped by the citizens of Haryana," said Saini.Speaking about future-oriented initiatives, the CM mentioned that following the establishment of the department of future, a provision of Rs 1,837.65 crore was made under the foresight head for 21 proposals across four departments in the financial year 2026–27. He emphasised the govt was formulating policies not only for the present, but also for future.Saini said he laid special emphasis on seven key areas, covering aspects ranging from budget management to expenditure details. The CM said the state govt aimed to establish Haryana among the leading states of the country by 2047 in the fields of industrial development, modern infrastructure, employment generation, and social inclusion. He said under the leadership of the double-engine govt, Haryana was emerging as a national model of rapid development, transparent governance, and robust financial management.However, Congress functionaries slammed the budget. Leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda called it a "totally directionless" and "meaningless" budget. "The projections were far from reality, and the figures of state debts and failures were concealed," he said.Joining him, Congress MP Randeep Surjewala called Saini's three-hour speech full of "stories of hollow promises, no trace of progress". "From 1966–67 to 2014–15, ie, in 48 years, the debt was Rs 70,925 crore. From 2015–16 to 2026–27, which is in 12 years, BJP borrowed Rs 3,94,551 crore. Which means that in 12 years, debt taken was Rs 3,23,626 crore, with a yearly average of debt taken of Rs 26,968.83 crore and daily debt of Rs 73.88 crore," said Surjewala.Out of 2.8 crore residents of the state, every citizen is under a debt of Rs 1,40,911, said Surjewala.Haryana Congress chief Rao Narender Singh said no concrete provisions were made to tackle key issues such as rising agricultural input costs, ensuring remunerative prices for crops, and expanding irrigation facilities. "Farmers, who form the backbone of the state's economy, expected meaningful relief from this budget, but were once again left disappointed. Adequate allocations for canal expansion and strengthening irrigation infrastructure are also lacking," he said.INLD supremo Abhay Singh Chautala called the budget "a jugglery of figures". He said it was estimated that the debt on the state would rise by Rs 40,000 crore. "BJP govt continuously increased heavy debt on the state for the last 11 years," he said.