Chhattisgarh: ₹1.65 lakh crore budget focusses on rural development, security
Chhattisgarh finance minister OP Choudhary said the Gross State Domestic Product at current prices is projected to increase from ₹5,67,880 cr in 2024-25 to ₹6,35,918 cr in 2025-26, reflecting a 12% growth
Raipur: Chhattisgarh finance minister OP Choudhary on Monday presented the state’s annual budget of ₹1,65,000 crore for the financial year 2025-26 based on the theme of ‘GATI’, focusing on Good Governance, Accelerating Infrastructure, Technology, and Industrial Growth.
Presenting the budget in the assembly, Chaudhary said that while the previous year’s budget was themed GYAN (Gareeb, Yuva, Annadata, and Nari) laying the foundation for inclusive development, the current budget is the next step in the state’s developmental journey.
“The goal is to build on the progress made so far and continue the journey toward achieving the state’s targets for 2030 as part of the Amrit Kaal Vision 2047,” he added.
Chaudhary’s budget speech focused on rural infrastructure development, especially in Maoist affected areas, additional allocation of funds for improving security apparatus and tax relief for residents.
On the state’s economy, he said that the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at current prices is projected to increase from ₹5,67,880 crore in 2024-25 to ₹6,35,918 crore in 2025-26, reflecting a 12% growth.
He pegged the state’s fiscal deficit at 2.97% for the financial year 2025-26 as compared to 2.90 % in 2024-25 and said it was within the 3 percent limit prescribed under Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act.
For the financial year 2025-26, the total revenue surplus of the Chhattisgarh government is estimated to be ₹2,804 crore, meaning the government’s income is expected to exceed its expenses.
However, the fiscal deficit is projected to be ₹22,900 crore. Out of this, ₹4,000 crore is allocated as special assistance for capital expenditure, such as roads, bridges, and schools.
Excluding this special assistance, the net fiscal deficit stands at ₹18,900 crore, which is 2.97% of the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
This remains within the 3% limit set by the FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) Act, indicating that the government has maintained financial discipline.
In the budget, the revenue surplus estimated for financial year 2025-26 is ₹2,804 crore while it was ₹1,060 crore in 2024-25. He also said that the per capita income in the financial year 2024-25 is expected to reach ₹1,62,870, marking a 9.37% increase.
The capital expenditure for the state in FY 2025-26 is estimated to be ₹26,341 crore, constituting 16% of the total budget and 4.14% of the state’s GSDP, making Chhattisgarh one of the top-performing states in this regard.
To improve infrastructure, the finance minister announced that the Mukhyamantri Mobile Tower Scheme and Mukhyamantri Parivahan Yojana for providing mobile and public transport service in every village of the state. Allocation was also made in the budget for promoting UPI (digital payments) in all panchayats.
The government also proposed to set up Special Operation Group (SOG), similar to the NSG, to tackle high-risk criminals and State Industrial Security Force (SISF) similar to CISF, to enhance security for industries and key installations. Additional funds have been allocated for opening police establishments in the Maoist affected areas.
The minister also said that 500 new Co-operative Societies will be formed, and a National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will be established in the state. Sickle Cell screening centers will be set up in all development blocks of Chhattisgarh in the first phase. A survey will be conducted to explore the interlinking of the Mahanadi and Indravati rivers as well as the Sikasar and Kodar rivers. He also announced setting up of Medi City, Education City and the National Institute of Urban Management in Nava Raipur.
To enhance learning opportunities, the minister proposed 17 new Nalanda Libraries, mobile science labs in Bastar & Surguja regions and science parks in Surguja, Bastar, Balrampur, Jashpur, and Raigarh.
A major highlight of the budget is the allocation of ₹10,000 crore for the Krishak Unnati Yojana, aimed at boosting agricultural prosperity. ₹8,500 crore has been allocated for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) to upgrade rural housing. Welfare schemes such as the Mahatari Vandan Yojana and Mukhyamantri Khadyann Sahayata Yojana have also received substantial funding of ₹5,500 crore and ₹4,500 crore, respectively, reinforcing the government’s commitment to empowering women and ensuring food security, the minister said.
The government has also provided ₹3,500 crore to provide free electricity for agricultural pumps of power up to 5 horsepower, ₹2,000 crore for new road construction under the Public Works Department (PWD) and ₹500 crore for connecting Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) habitations under the PM-JANMAN Sadak Nirman Yojana.
Recognising the challenges faced by small traders and the need to reduce compliance burdens, the state government has decided to increase the e-Way bill limit from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh. The government will also support small traders by waiving pending VAT liabilities of over 10 years up to ₹25,000, benefiting more than 40,000 traders and reducing over 62,000 litigation cases. Additionally, the cess on stamp duty for immovable property transactions will be removed.
