Meghalaya CM Presents Rs 1,970 Cr Deficit Budget for 2025-26

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SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has presented a Rs 1,970 crore deficit budget for 2025-26, outlining total receipts of Rs 30,415 crore, including revenue receipts of Rs 25,591 crore and capital receipts of Rs 4,824 crore. Excluding borrowings of Rs 4,788 crore, the total receipts are Rs 25,627 crore, while total expenditure is estimated at Rs 30,003 crore, comprising Rs 20,556 crore in revenue expenditure and Rs 9,447 crore in capital expenditure.

On the expenditure side, Sangma projected a total of Rs 30,003 crore, with revenue expenditure at Rs 20,556 crore and capital expenditure at Rs 9,447 crore. “Excluding repayment of loans amounting to Rs 2,406 crore, the estimated total expenditure stands at Rs 27,597 crore,” he said. The Chief Minister further detailed that interest payments for the year are estimated at Rs 1,347 crore, while pension payments will be Rs 1,824 crore.

“I am, therefore, presenting the budget for 2025-26 with a fiscal deficit of 1,970 crore, which is around 2.96% of the GSDP. I am delighted to highlight that the fiscal deficit has been maintained below the permissible limit of 3.5%,” Sangma emphasized.

Alongside the main budget, the Chief Minister introduced the Climate, Youth, Gender, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Budgets. “The size of the Climate Budget for 2025-26 is Rs 5,421 crore, an increase of 20% over 2024-25; the Youth Budget stands at Rs 3,329 crore, an increase of 16.6%; and the Gender Budget stands at Rs 6,219 crore, an increase of 25%,” he said.

Targeting to make Meghalaya a developed state by 2032, Sangma said, “This budget will provide the framework for growth, job creation, and improving citizen well-being.”

Discussing state finances, Sangma recalled the government’s ambitious goal of transforming Meghalaya into a $10 billion economy. “In 2023, when the MDA 2.0 government was formed, we announced the target of making Meghalaya a $10 billion economy and doubling the state’s GDP from the then Rs 42,697 crore to Rs 85,000 crore by 2028,” he said.

“The annual growth rate for the period 2023-26 stands at 12.7%, and we are certain to achieve our target for 2028,” he said. He said that the total estimated transfers from the Centre to Meghalaya are expected to rise to Rs 20,568 crore in 2025-26, up from revised estimates of Rs 19,242 crore in the current year. “This growth is largely driven by India’s robust economic performance. Notably, the share of central taxes is projected to increase by 10.5% to Rs 10,910 crore in 2025-26, up from Rs 9,870 crore in the current year,” the CM said.

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