Jharkhand tables Rs 1.58 lakh crore ‘Abua Disom’ budget with 9% hike

ASRP.Mukesh


Ranchi: The state govt on Monday tabled its annual budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, proposing a total outlay of Rs 1,58,560 crore, about 9% hike compared to the 2025-26 financial year. Out of the total outlay, about 28.38% is allotted for women and child welfare, classifying it as the gender budget (Rs 34,211 crore) and child budget (Rs 10,793.16 crore).

The budget, titled ‘Abua Disom’, as a homage to the late JMM partriach and statehood leader “Disom guru” Shibu Soren, finance minister Radha Krishana Kishore said the budget has also focussed on giving a push to rural economy and livelihoods, the farm sector and social security besides providing a major fillip to key sectors like health, education for overall development of the state.

Tabling the budget for the second consecutive time, Kishore also announced the setting up of a new university named after Baba Bhim Rao Ambedkar in Chatra district in the new fiscal year, as a fitting tribute to the Father of the Constitution by the JMM-led alliance govt.

A dedicated Rs 200 crore for cancer prevention has been earmarked from the total outlay for the health department to set up and install PET & CT scan machines for cancer detection across all govt hospitals and roll out facilities for breast cancer detection at all district hospitals. He also announced a slew of announcements in farming, tourism and education to boost skilling and livelihood.

To empower women farmers, a sum of Rs 25 crore has been earmarked under the Mahila Kaushal Khushali Yojana to link them with integrated farming and Rs 162.20 crore was set aside for the setting up of solar-based cooperative marketing complexes in every assembly constituency to provide proper markets for farmers.

To boost rural livelihood, the govt has announced to revive the “Kundri Lah” farm, which the finance minister said is the largest in Asia but has been defunct for years. Moreover, an amount of Rs 1,000 crore has been fixed for making and repairing rural roads under the CM gram sadak yojana while Rs 730 crore is exclusively kept aside for rural bridges and infrastructure.

“Of the total budget outlay, Rs 1,20,851.90 crore is proposed for revenue expenditure. An amount of Rs 37,708.10 crore is proposed for capital expenditure,” he said.

Giving a sector-wise perspective, the minister said the larger share of Rs 67,459.54 crore has been allocated for the social sector, followed by the economic sector (59,044.63 crore) and Rs 32,055.83 crore for the general sector.

To meet the budget requirements, the state expects Rs 46,000 crore from its tax revenue and Rs 20,700 crore from non-tax revenue, Rs 18,273.66 crore from central assistance, Rs 51,236.38 crore as the state's share in central taxes, and Rs 22,049.96 crore from public debt.

“In 2026-27, the fiscal deficit is estimated to be Rs 13,595.96 crore, which is 2.18% of the estimated GSDP. The govt will endeavour to double this in the next five years. For this, we will have to achieve a growth of about 14% at current prices. At constant prices, this will be a growth rate of about 9% to 10%,” he said.

He, however, lashed out at the Centre for posing hurdles through untimely financial assistance and grants.

“Financial support from the Union govt is necessary for any state, mainly a backward state like Jharkhand. But I regret to inform that in this financial year so far, approximately Rs 5,000 crore of Jharkhand's share in central taxes is pending. Similarly, Rs 11,000 crore under grants has not been received. There has been a continuous reduction in grant amounts in the past five years. In addition, due to the rationalisation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), the state will suffer Rs 4,000 crore loss annually, and Rs 5,640 crore annual loss once the VB-GRAM G scheme is introduced. Despite numerous efforts, the Centre has still not given Jharkhand its outstanding amount of Rs 1.35 lakh crore due with the coal companies,” he said.

Hailing the budget, chief minister Hemant Soren said, “The budget 2026-27 is aimed at fulfilling people’s aspirations across all sectors. To ensure that the journey of making a youthful Jharkhand prosperous by 2050 is smooth and filled with momentum, several provisions have been made in the budget, which will gradually translate into reality in the days ahead.”

Opposition BJP, however, dubbed it a directionless budget. Addressing the media, state BJP president Aditya Sahu said, “The state govt has been able to spend only 50% of the budget in the ongoing fiscal year. The current budget is directionless. While state govt blames the Centre over the outstanding amount of Rs 1.36 lakh crore, the state has not been able to explain under which heads the amount is pending despite repeated inquiries. There is no proposal in the budget to provide gas cylinders for Rs 400, as promised in their manifesto.”