Mizoram CM presents Rs 17,469.91 cr budget; focus on boosting social infra, agri sector

Aizawl, Feb 26 (PTI) Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Thursday presented a Rs 17,469.91 crore budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal in the state assembly, with focus on improving social infrastructure and boosting the agriculture sector.

The chief minister also presented the supplementary demands for grants for the current fiscal, amounting to Rs 3,724.25 crore.

Presenting his third budget after the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) assumed power in December 2023, Lalduhoma, who also holds the finance portfolio, said his government will continue to implement its flagship ‘Bana Kaih’ (hand holding) scheme to improve the livelihoods of farmers.

He said the Mizoram government allocated Rs 350 crore for implementation of the scheme, and out of this, Rs 150 crore has been earmarked for procurement of designated key crops.

Since its launch in September 2024, loan amounting to Rs. 34 crore has been extended to 384 beneficiaries officially labelled as "progress partners," while financial assistance amounting to Rs. 22.62 crore has been provided to 2,713 progress partners under CM's special package of the flagship scheme, he said.

More than Rs. 280 crore has also been disbursed as support price for the procurement of ginger, unhusked paddy and dry broomsticks since then, he said.

Amid rising drug trafficking and substance abuse, Lalduhoma asserted that his government is committed to combating the menace.

A new budget head titled "Anti-Narcotics Activities" has been created under the Excise department with an initial allocation of Rs 40 lakh, he said.

The initiative aims to accelerate enforcement, awareness campaigns, and coordinated action against illegal trafficking and substance abuse.

The government has launched Operation Jericho, a joint crackdown by the state police, the excise department, and Young Mizo Association (YMA), Mizoram's largest civil society organisation, to curb drug trafficking and addiction in September last year.

Additionally, Rs 70 lakh has been allocated for the support of de-addiction or rehabilitation centres under the Social Welfare department, he said.

Lalduhoma said the total revenue receipts, including Rs 8,608.08 crore of central tax devolution, are projected at Rs 17,469.91 crore, while the total expenditure is estimated at 17,076.92 crore.

“The total receipts exceed the gross total expenditure by Rs 392.99 crore, and this surplus is to be used for reduction of public account liabilities," he said.

The total funds earmarked for capital expenditure are Rs 2,982.44 crore, which is 12.18 per cent higher than the 2025-26 budget, while total revenue expenditure for 2026-27 is projected at Rs 14,094.47 crore, a 13.18 per cent hike over the current fiscal estimate, he said.

Lalduhoma informed the Assembly that the state government gives priority to healthcare and has allocated Rs 130 crore in the 2026-27 budget for reimbursement of healthcare bills under the Mizoram Universal Healthcare Scheme (MUHCS).

Implemented in April last year, the scheme provides up to Rs 5 lakh in annual coverage for cashless treatment at government facilities, as well as empanelled private and church-run hospitals.

Lalduhoma said that the government has recently secured Rs 803.74 crore loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to strengthen healthcare and enhance implementation of the MUHCS.

Rs 183.25 crore has been earmarked for road maintenance or improvement of connectivity during the 2026-27 fiscal, he said.

Speaking to reporters after presenting the budget, Lalduhoma said the government has constituted a study team in a move towards fiscal consolidation and strengthening expenditure control.

He said that the government would take strict measures to avoid committing liabilities previously incurred by politicians and corrupted bureaucrats by awarding contracts without approved work orders following the misuse of sanctioning power.

He said that the government would leverage the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme to augment capital expenditure and accelerate infrastructure development.

Rs 1,000 crore has been estimated to be received under this interest-free loan scheme, he said.

According to Lalduhoma, the state's share in the central tax pool has been raised from the current fiscal year's Rs 6,964.85 crore to an estimated Rs 8,608.08 crore in the coming financial year.

The state's own tax revenue for the 2026-27 has been projected at Rs 1,616.25 crore, and the government will take measures to enhance the collection of GST, which is the major contributor of state's own revenue, he said.

The gross fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs 1,669 crore, which is 3.8 per cent of GSDP being projected at Rs 39,526.42 crore during 2026-27, the CM said. PTI CORR RBT NN