Arunachal's Rs 36,607 Cr Budget Aims for Developed State by 2047, Says CM

The Arunachal Pradesh government, on Thursday, passed the state budget with an outlay of Rs 36,607 crore, with a fiscal deficit of Rs 701 crore, 1.7 per cent of the state's GDP.

Speaking to ANI on Friday, CM Pema Khandu described the six pillars of the budget, with a focus on people-centric development, sustainable economic growth, and employment for youth.

Describing the budget, he said, "This time, we have prepared the budget broadly with six pillars, keeping in mind all the focus areas: How do we strengthen our foundation for the future, second is people-centric development, how do we bring progress in people's lives. The third focus area is sustainable economic growth. We have focused on the fact that our government has a lot of policies, especially for the entrepreneurship and employment generation of the youth. By linking all these policies with the youth, the focus has been on how entrepreneurship and employment generation should happen."

"The fifth pillar is how to take our state's own resources forward, and lastly, how to make further reforms in our governance. In the last 10 years, we in the state government have taken many reforms, and we have talked about reforms in many other sectors in this budget. I believe that this year's budget marks a pivotal moment. It serves to consolidate the work accomplished over the past decade while charting the course for our future journey toward realising a developed Arunachal by 2047," he added.

This year's budget is Rs 36,607 crore, Rs 2,835 crore less than last year. The state has projected a revenue of Rs 5,208 crore, including Rs 3,634 crore tax revenue and Rs 1,575 crore from non-tax sources. Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at current prices, as per the budget document, stands at Rs 41,314 crore.

Earlier on Thursday, Pema Khandu expressed gratitude towards Deputy CM Chowna Mein and MLAs while calling for strengthening fiscal discipline.

In an X post, he wrote, "With the passing of the Arunachal Pradesh Budget 2026-27, I extend my sincere gratitude to all Hon'ble colleagues for their valuable suggestions and constructive participation. This year's budget has been presented in an evolving fiscal scenario following the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission. It provides us with an opportunity to further strengthen fiscal discipline, reorient our thinking, and manage our resources with greater efficiency and responsibility. We must also expand our avenues of revenue generation, close systemic leakages, and continue improving governance mechanisms."

"The budget has been carefully designed to meet the aspirations of our people while laying a strong foundation for sustainable growth and a more self-reliant Arunachal Pradesh. I place on record my deep appreciation for Hon'ble Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein Ji for presenting a thoughtful, balanced, and forward-looking budget. I also extend my sincere thanks to Hon'ble Speaker Tesam Pongte Ji and Hon'ble Deputy Speaker Kardo Nyigyor Ji for ensuring the smooth and successful conduct of the proceedings of the House," the post read.

- ANI