Preparations for FY 2026-27 Budget underway
By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 21 Jan: Preparations for the Uttarakhand Budget Session 2026 are underway at a rapid pace across various departments. Sources claim that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has confirmed that the budget session of the state assembly would be held in Bhararisain (Gairsain). The formal announcement of dates of the budget session is also expected soon, according to the sources. Interestingly, while Gairsain has been declared as summer capital of Uttarakhand, it is the budget session which is being held in Bhararisain (Gairsain) this year. It may be recalled that, last year, it was the monsoon session of the state assembly that was held in Gairsain. It may also be recalled that while, initially the government had first announced the budget session to be held in Gairsain but ultimately it was held in Dehradun.
While the Monsoon Session in Gairsain was scheduled for 4 days from 19 to 22 August, in reality it lasted only two days. This becomes interesting in view of the fact that the state assembly sessions have been very short in Gairsain so far though the budget session requires a longer duration. In the past few years, the assembly sessions in the state have not extended more than a week, still, the budget session last year in Dehradun was scheduled for 7 days, though it lasted 5 days in reality. It remains to be seen if a long budget session will really be held in Gairsain, particularly in view of the fact that neither the ruling party, nor the legislators from the Opposition have shown any keenness to hold longer assembly sessions in Gairsain.
The decision of the Chief Minister to hold the session in Gairsain follows an earlier authorisation granted by the Cabinet, empowering the CM to take the final call on the venue. Acting on this mandate, the state government has resolved to hold the session at Bhararisain, reaffirming its commitment to conduct key legislative proceedings from Gairsain. Although the schedule of the session has not yet been made public, the confirmation of the venue has set the groundwork for administrative and logistical preparations.
Meanwhile, CM Dhami has recalled that there had been a proposal to convene the budget session at Gairsain last year as well, but extensive maintenance work at the Bhararisain Assembly building at that time had rendered it unsuitable for hosting the proceedings. This position had also been clarified by the Assembly Speaker. For the current year, however, the government has ensured advance preparedness so that the budget session can be conducted smoothly there without any impediments.
Meanwhile, parallel to the arrangements for the assembly session, preparatory work for the state budget for the financial year 2026–27 has gathered pace. Finance Secretary Dilip Jawalkar has also shared that the Finance Department had issued directions to all departments about a month ago to submit their budgetary demands through the online portal. Most of the departments have responded within the stipulated timeframe and uploaded their requirements, following which the portal has now been closed. The data received from various departments is presently under examination, and detailed, department-wise discussions on proposed allocations are in progress. These consultations are aimed at assessing priorities and ensuring that sectoral needs are appropriately reflected in the state’s financial planning.
It may also be recalled that the state governments wait for the Union Budget to be placed in Parliament before holding the budget sessions in their respective state. Now that the Union Budget is being presented on 1 February for the past few years, it becomes possible for the state governments to hold the session in February or March, before the start of the new financial year. Jawalkar observed that the schedule of one-to-one budget discussions with departments is expected to continue for nearly a month. He also observed that a comprehensive analysis of the union budget is undertaken before finalising the contours of the state budget. The insights gained from the Union Budget play a crucial role in shaping Uttarakhand’s own financial roadmap, which is subsequently placed before the Cabinet for approval ahead of its presentation in the assembly. The budget session also entails extensive legislative business in the House and besides the budget, several key bills including appropriation bills are also expected to be presented and passed in the forthcoming session. The budget session, being the first session of the calendar year, will begin with Governor’s speech in the House.
