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‘Unspent funds of 2025-26 budget’: Haryana ex-finance minister accuses BJP govt of financial mismanagement
The INLD leader said that no expenditure was incurred on schemes worth ₹306 crore intended to strengthen fire services
Former Haryana finance minister, Sampat Singh, on Tuesday accused the BJP led Haryana government of “gross financial mismanagement” alleging that large portions of 2025-26 budget went unspent despite government’s claims of high utilisation.
Addressing a press conference, Singh who is Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) patron, questioned chief minister Nayab Singh Saini’s claim made during his budget speech on March 2 in the state assembly that 98% of 2025-26 budget had been utilised.
“However, expenditure data till February 25, 2026 tells a different story. Of 729 announcements made in 2025–26 budget, about 300 schemes with a total allocation of ₹7,500 crore saw zero expenditure as of March 31, 2026,’’ the former finance minister said, quoting statistics from Haryana government’s online budget allocation monitoring and analysis system. Singh maintained that ₹406.12 crore was allocated for subsidised agricultural infrastructure (agriculture department) but the actual expenditure remained zero.
“Similarly, development and panchayat department failed to spend a single rupee out of the ₹890 crore allocated under the State Finance Commission for rural development. Funds amounting to ₹248 crore under the Swachh Bharat Mission and ₹73 crore for the Karnal Smart City project also remained unutilised. About ₹357 crore allocated for strengthening healthcare services and for the National Cancer Prevention Programme also went unspent. In education department, despite budgetary allocation of ₹310 crore for school infrastructure, model schools, and major science projects, the actual expenditure recorded was zero. Out of the ₹1,415 crore allocated for major education schemes, only ₹240 crore was actually spent,’’ the former finance minister maintained.
The INLD leader said that no expenditure was incurred on schemes worth ₹306 crore intended to strengthen fire services. “Under all urban housing schemes, ₹1,339.90 crore remained unspent while for rural housing only ₹205 crore was utilised out of an allocation of ₹1540 crore. Out of ₹1,129 crore earmarked for micro-irrigation and related schemes not a single rupee was spent. Expenditure on ₹865 crore allocated for drinking water supply and regional development projects stood at zero. The rural development department recorded zero expenditure on schemes worth ₹300 crore. Total departmental expenditure remained limited to a mere 18%,” he maintained.
Singh said under MGNREGA, only ₹99 crore was spent out of an allocation of ₹446 crore. “In the Social justice and empowerment department, expenditure on various welfare schemes worth ₹591 crore was nil. The women and child development incurred no expenditure on schemes worth ₹221 crore, while for nutrition programmes, only ₹6 crore was spent out of an allocation of ₹90 crore. Out of ₹151 crore allocated for skill development and employment schemes—including the ‘Drone Didi’ and ‘Sankalp’ schemes—expenditure remained zero. Only 22% of the allocated funds were spent on the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ initiative,’’ he said.
The INLD leader said he will lodge a formal complaint with the Principal Accountant General, the Central Finance Commission, and the governor. “The failure to spend even a single penny on these schemes constituted gross financial mismanagement on the part of the BJP government. The BJP government is merely engaging in event management,’’ Singh alleged.
