Jharkhand CM says Budget to fulfill people's aspirations, BJP terms it 'directionless'

Ranchi, Feb 24 (PTI) Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday said the Budget for the 2026-27 fiscal tabled in the assembly would fulfill people's aspirations, while the main opposition BJP termed it "directionless and baseless".

He said the Budget serves the interest of every section of the society and its impact would soon be seen on the ground.

"This Abua Dishom Budget 2026-27 has been brought to fulfill people's aspirations. Several provisions have been made in the Budget to ensure that the journey of making a youthful Jharkhand prosperous by 2050 is smooth and filled with momentum," Soren posted on X.

Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore presented an outline for the development of Jharkhand in his Budget, he said.

"The Budget serves the interest of every section of the society and its impact will soon be seen on the ground," Soren said after a cabinet meeting.

Several agendas were cleared during the cabinet meeting, chaired by the chief minister. But the cabinet decisions were not made public due to the model code of conduct, which has been in effect since January 27, for the civic polls.

Reacting to the state Budget, Jharkhand BJP chief Aditya Sahu said it is "directionless and baseless".

"It has no vision. The Budget proposal is just a presentation of vague and inflated figures," Sahu alleged.

Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Babulal Marandi, alleged that the Budget presented in the assembly was "disappointing, anti-people, and anti-development".

"People had great expectations that this Budget would provide concrete solutions to pressing issues such as inflation, unemployment, dilapidated basic infrastructure in education and health, and other problems, but the government has resorted only to pie-in-the-sky announcements," he said.

The former chief minister added that the poor, farmers, women, students, youth, every section of society were feeling "neglected and cheated" by this Budget.

"The government's lack of direction and the absence of coordination between departments are clearly evident in this Budget," he claimed.

Senior BJP leader Raghubar Das described the Budget as "disappointing”, and said it did not meet the expectations of the common man.

The Jharkhand government has deceived the poor, Adivasis, farmers, youths and women. No concrete employment plan for youths was presented in the Budget, Das claimed.

Jharkhand Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh said the Budget was a "strong and visionary step" in the direction of the state's overall development, social justice, and economic empowerment.

"This Budget not only takes into account the current needs but also presents a clear roadmap for addressing future challenges," he said. PTI SAN BS SAN ACD