OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Sunday hailed the Union Budget 2026–27 as robust, forward-looking and closely aligned with the aspirations of the people, particularly those living in aspirational and frontier regions such as the Northeast.
Congratulating Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on presenting what he described as a vision-driven Budget, Mein said it strengthened the foundations of inclusive growth, infrastructure expansion and social empowerment under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The deputy chief minister, who also held the Finance, Planning and Investment portfolios, said in a social media post that the Budget clearly reflected the Centre’s commitment to balanced and sustainable development.
He cited the Rs 12.2 lakh crore push for infrastructure, the Rs 20,000 crore allocation for carbon capture, Rs 10,000 crore for biopharma, deep liquidity reforms for MSMEs, and a strong thrust on semiconductors, logistics and clean industries.
According to Mein, these measures underscored a strategy focused on long-term capacity building rather than short-term gains.
Highlighting the Budget’s relevance for Arunachal Pradesh, he said the continued emphasis on strategic infrastructure, border connectivity, hydropower development and North East–specific schemes would significantly accelerate the state’s growth momentum.
He also welcomed the announcement of a dedicated scheme for the development of Buddhist tourist circuits across Arunachal Pradesh and other Northeastern states, including Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
The initiative, he said, would focus on the preservation of temples and monasteries and was expected to boost cultural tourism and regional livelihoods.
Mein further said enhanced investments in roads, energy, livelihoods and human capital would not only improve the quality of life of the people of Arunachal Pradesh but also reinforce the state’s critical role in India’s national security and economic progress.
He added that the Budget strongly aligned the state’s development aspirations with the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Referring to fiscal discipline, the deputy chief minister said the Centre had fulfilled its commitment to reduce the fiscal deficit below 4.5 per cent of GDP by 2025–26, with the revised estimate for 2025–26 placed at 4.4 per cent and the fiscal deficit for 2026–27 projected at 4.3 per cent, in line with the debt consolidation path.
Mein also acknowledged the historic significance of the occasion, noting that Sitharaman had made history by presenting her ninth consecutive Union Budget.
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