Chamoli

Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, on Monday presented a ₹1.11 lakh crore Budget for the financial year 2026-27, outlining the state government’s development agenda based on the “GYAN” model.

The Budget, presented on the first day of the assembly session after the Governor’s address — a first in the state’s history — emphasises four key pillars: the poor (garib), youth, farmers (annadata) and women’s empowerment.

Dhami said the government aims to ensure inclusive growth by connecting all sections of society to the development process and building a prosperous and self-reliant Uttarakhand.

To improve the living standards of economically weaker sections, the government has made several welfare allocations. The Budget includes ₹1,300 crore for the Annapurti Scheme, ₹298.35 crore for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) and ₹56.12 crore for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).

Additional provisions include ₹25 crore for housing for economically weaker sections, ₹42 crore to provide free travel facilities for certain categories of passengers in state transport buses, and ₹43.03 crore as subsidy support for cooking gas.

The government has also allocated ₹167.05 crore for social security pension schemes, including the Divyang Pension and the Teelu Rauteli Pension, along with ₹25 crore for the rehabilitation of disaster-affected families.

To boost employment opportunities for youth, the Budget sets aside ₹60 crore for the Chief Minister Self-Employment Scheme, ₹10 crore for a migration prevention initiative and ₹62.29 crore for the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Rural Skill Development Scheme.

The education sector will receive ₹155.38 crore as assistance for non-government colleges, while ₹10 crore each has been earmarked for the honorarium of Shiksha Mitras and the Chief Minister Yuva Bhavishya Nirman Scheme.

For the agriculture and allied sectors, the government announced several initiatives to increase farmers’ income. Allocations include ₹39.90 crore for the Trout Promotion Scheme, ₹42 crore for Mission Apple, ₹32 crore as incentives for milk producers and ₹42.50 crore for the Deendayal Upadhyay Cooperative Farmers Welfare Scheme.

The Budget also earmarks ₹160.13 crore for Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, ₹12 crore for the Millet Mission and ₹12.06 crore for the Farmers’ Pension Scheme.

Special provisions have also been made for women’s welfare and nutrition. The government allocated ₹220 crore for the Nanda Gaura Scheme, ₹47.78 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana and ₹30 crore for the Chief Minister Mahalakshmi Kit Scheme.

Funds have also been earmarked for programmes aimed at strengthening women’s self-help groups and improving child and maternal nutrition, including the Chief Minister Child Nutrition Scheme, Women Nutrition Scheme and the Anchal Amrit Scheme.

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Dhami said the GYAN development framework would accelerate the upliftment of the poor, empower youth, strengthen farmers’ livelihoods and promote the social and economic advancement of women in the state.