Opening day of Assembly Session
By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Gairsain, 27 Oct: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today presented a supplementary budget of Rs 7,844.18 crores for the financial year 2026-27 in the House on the opening day of the current assembly session. The supplementary allocation will take the state’s total budgetary outlay from the original Rs 1,11,703.21 crores to Rs 1,19,547.39 crores.
Tabling the Supplementary Demands for Grants, the CM noted that the government is presenting a comprehensive budget with provisions aimed at the all-round development of the state. He said several new schemes had been incorporated, with a special focus on innovation, while existing schemes would be given further momentum to accelerate development.
The supplementary budget makes allocations for a number of priority sectors, including the Gairsain Water Supply Dam Project, Kumbh Mela infrastructure, health, education, energy, rural development and sports. A provision of Rs 721 crores has been proposed for rural, urban and local bodies in accordance with the recommendations of the State Finance Commission.
The government has earmarked Rs 1,100 crores under the Annapurti Yojana for the procurement of paddy and wheat, while a provision of Rs 500 crores has been proposed for infrastructure development. An allocation of Rs 300 crores has been made for clearance of pending payments to contractors under the Jal Jeevan Mission and Rs 290 crores has been provided for infrastructure development works related to the Kumbh Mela.
In the education sector, Rs 200 crores has been proposed for promoting digital learning in higher education and school education institutions. The Supplementary Budget also includes Rs 122 crores for the Gairsain Water Supply Dam Project, Rs 40 crore for the establishment of a new State Data Centre and Rs 30 crore for the Haridwar-Ganga Corridor Project.
In the health sector, the government has proposed Rs 100 crores for the Ayushman scheme and Rs 125 crores for Golden Cards. An amount of Rs 93 crores has been allocated for welfare pensions. In the energy sector, Rs 270 crores has been earmarked for electricity infrastructure related to the Khurpia Farm Project.
The Budget further proposes Rs 160 crores for Pithoragarh Medical College, Rudrapur Medical College and nursing colleges. A provision of Rs 2 crores has been made for the establishment of the Madan Mohan Prachya Sansthan in Rishikesh, where studies related to astrology, Ayurveda, yoga, meditation and spirituality will be promoted.
In the sports sector, Rs 35 crores has been allocated for the Sports University, Rs 10 crores for the Women’s Sports College in Champawat and Rs 15 crores for rewarding medal-winning athletes in international competitions. Other allocations include Rs 20 crores for the Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra, Rs 28 crores under the Trout Promotion Scheme, Rs 9 crores for the Kisan Pension Scheme and Rs 2 crores for the Chief Minister Vatsalya Yojana.
The government has also proposed Rs 61 crores for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and road repair works across the state.
Of the total supplementary provision, Rs 3,679.86 crores has been earmarked under the revenue head and Rs 4,164.32 crores under the capital head, indicating a substantial focus on infrastructure development and capital expenditure.
Among the major provisions, Rs 721 crores has been proposed for local bodies, following the acceptance of recommendations of the Sixth State Finance Commission, including an increase in the share of the state’s tax revenue for these institutions from 10.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent. Another significant allocation of Rs 1,100 crore has been made for procurement of paddy and wheat from farmers under the Annpoorti scheme.
The budget also provides Rs 500 crore for infrastructure development under SASCI, Rs 300 crore for clearing pending payments to contractors under the Jal Jeevan Mission and around Rs 290 crore for infrastructure and related arrangements for the forthcoming Divya Kumbh Mela. An allocation of Rs 200 crore has been made for digital learning in school and higher education, while Rs 122 crore has been earmarked for the Gairsain drinking water dam project.
The provisions cover infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture, sports and social welfare, besides preparations for major religious events in the state.
Besides the Supplementary Demands for Grants tabled by the Chief Minister, several other Bills were also introduced in the House during the day’s proceedings. These included the Uttarakhand Irrigation and Drainage Bill, the Uttarakhand Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development and Regulation (Amendment) Bill, the Uttarakhand Jan Vishwas Provisions (Second Amendment) Bill, the Uttarakhand Minority Education (Amendment) Bill, the Uttarakhand Higher Education (Amendment) Bill, the Uttarakhand Civil Law (Amendment) Bill, the Uttarakhand Fire and Emergency Services Bill, and the Uttarakhand Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill.
