MP's 2026-27 Budget to be a 3-Year Rolling Plan, Says Dy CM Devda

Speaking exclusively to IANS during a visit to his home district, Mandsaur, Devda -- who also holds the Finance portfolio -- said the budget would be "fully dedicated to the people of Madhya Pradesh", with a special focus on women empowerment, employment generation for youth, and welfare of farmers and the poor.

"The 2026-27 budget will follow a rolling budget approach, meaning we are planning with a three-year perspective in mind. I can assure that this budget will be dedicated to the overall development of Madhya Pradesh," Devda said.

He said the budget has been prepared after extensive consultations with representatives from all sections of society, including economic experts, to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth.

Drawing a contrast with last year's exercise, the Deputy Chief Minister noted that the 2025-26 budget had been framed using a "zero-based budgeting" approach. Under that system, all state departments were asked to reassess their actual financial requirements instead of relying on past allocations.

"Last year, we adopted zero-based budgeting and sought detailed inputs from every department on actual expenditure and future needs. This year, while building on that exercise, we are introducing a three-year framework to bring continuity and long-term planning into budgeting," he said.

The state government's budget for 2025-26 stood at Rs 4.21 lakh crore.

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly will convene on February 16 for the ninth session of the 16th Vidhan Sabha. The budget for the 2026-27 financial year will be presented in the House on February 18, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav recently announced.

This will be the first major Assembly session of 2026 under the Yadav-led BJP government, which holds 163 seats in the 230-member House. The Congress, with 66 MLAs, is expected to corner the government on issues such as inflation, unemployment and farmers' concerns.

Given the state's large tribal and rural population, the session is likely to see a strong focus on inclusive growth, infrastructure development and agricultural support, including the implementation of central schemes such as PM-KISAN and Ayushman Bharat.

- IANS