Stakeholder inputs key to good governance, says Haryana CM at pre-budget meet

Professionals from law, finance, medicine and environment shared inputs in Gurugram, with the CM citing last year’s suggestions that shaped tax and welfare reforms.

Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday said the ongoing pre-budget consultation meetings were intended to reflect participatory governance, as professionals from multiple fields offered suggestions for the 2026–27 state budget.

The chief minister said 15 of 43 proposals from last year were adopted, including GST audits, excise reforms and new environmental policies. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Saini was addressing chartered accountants, advocates, architects, environmentalists, doctors and other professionals during the second session of pre-budget consultations held at Apparel House in Sector 44, Gurugram. The consultations were organised in two sessions as part of the Haryana Vision–2047 roadmap, aimed at gathering inputs from diverse stakeholder groups.

The chief minister said professionals play a key role in public policy formulation, financial discipline, legal frameworks, planning, environmental protection and sustainable development. “The strong foundation of good governance rests on these pillars,” he said, adding that government policies are shaped by public sentiment and informed participation.

Referring to last year’s exercise, Saini said 15 of the 43 suggestions received were incorporated into the Budget 2025–26. These included the One Time Settlement Scheme, suo motu investigations under Section 61 by excise and taxation officers, creation of a chartered accountant panel for special audits under the GST Act, 2017, and installation of CCTV cameras in tax offices to improve transparency.

He said other initiatives adopted following stakeholder inputs included GST relief on agricultural equipment, automation of the GST refund process, a new e-waste management policy, the Aravalli Jungle Safari project, the Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme and the establishment of an environmental training centre. “These steps reflect our commitment to a simplified tax system, transparent administration, environmental protection and public welfare,” Saini said.

Highlighting legal reforms, the chief minister said Haryana was the first state to fully implement three new criminal laws replacing colonial-era legislation and had introduced technology tools such as e-Sakshya and e-Summon. Between January and August 2025, forensic recording of crime scenes was conducted in over 96% of cases through e-Sakshya, while nearly half of police personnel appeared in courts via video conferencing.

On revenue performance, Saini said the excise and taxation department had achieved nearly 78.5% of its ₹68,834.91 crore target for 2025–26 by December 31, 2025.

Industries and commerce minister Rao Narbir Singh, MLAs, senior bureaucrats and officials from key departments were also present during the consultations.