Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Monday presented a deficit budget of ₹2,672 crore for the financial year 2026-27, pegging the fiscal deficit at 3.5% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and asserting that the government has kept the borrowing within the permissible limit.
Tabling the budget in the Assembly, the chief minister laid out an expansive fiscal roadmap with total receipts estimated at ₹32,000 crore and total expenditure projected at ₹32,023 crore, underlining the state’s calibrated push towards capital spending while maintaining fiscal discipline.
“For 2026-27, I have estimated the total receipts at ₹32,000 Crore, of which the revenue receipts are estimated at ₹26,583 Crore and capital receipts at ₹5,417 Crore. Excluding borrowings of ₹5,379 Crore, the total receipts are estimated to be ₹26,621 Crore,” Sangma said.
On the spending front, the government has projected a total expenditure of ₹32,023 crore, reflecting a strong thrust on infrastructure and asset creation. “On the expenditure side, I have estimated the total expenditure at ₹32,023 Crore, of which the revenue expenditure is estimated at ₹21,812 Crore and Capital expenditure at ₹10,211 Crore. Excluding repayment of loans of ₹2,731 Crore, the estimated total expenditure is ₹29,293 Crore,” he stated.
The budget estimates interest payments at ₹1,540 crore and pension payments at ₹1,980 crore for 2026-27, signalling the mounting committed liabilities even as the state expands developmental outlays.
“Interest payments for 2026-27 are estimated at ₹1,540 Crore and pension payments at ₹1,980 Crore. The revenue surplus is ₹4,771 Crore and the closing balance is ₹714 Crore,” the chief minister said.
Positioning the fiscal deficit figure as a mark of prudence, Sangma added, “I am, therefore, presenting the budget for 2026-27, with a fiscal deficit of ₹2,672 Crore, which is around 3.5% of the GSDP. I am delighted to highlight that the fiscal deficit has been maintained at the permissible limit of 3.5%.”
Beyond the headline numbers, the government also placed focused thematic budgets alongside the main document. “….along with the main budget document I am presenting the Climate, Youth, Gender and SDG Budgets. The size of the climate budget for 2026-27 is ₹5,572 Crore, an increase of 2.8% over 2025-26; Youth Budget stands at ₹4,824 Crore, an increase of 45%; Gender Budget stands at ₹6,849 Crore, an increase of 10%,” he added.
