T’gana deputy CM presents ₹3.24L-cr budget for FY27

TElangana surrogate chief government minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on midweek presented the tell’s yearbook budget for the financial year 2026-27, with a total of outlay of ₹3,24,234 crore, which exceeded last year’s outlay by over ₹20,000 crore.Vikramarka, who also holds the finance portfolio, projected a revenue expenditure of ₹2,34,406 crore, and capital expenditure of ₹47,627 crore. The state has recorded a 10.7% growth rate in the Gross State Domestic Product, pegged at ₹17,82,198 crore, he said.“This is 2.7% higher than the country’s average GDP growth rate of 8% during the same period. Likewise, the State’s GSDP accounts for 5.0% of the national GDP, making Telangana a strong growth engine for the country,” he said.The finance minister said the budget aims to ensure social and economic justice for every citizen and reflects governance. Calling it a “charter of resolve”, he said that the government was focused on fulfilling people’s aspirations through transparent and fact-based governance.Vikramarka said the Congress government was striving hard to overcome the burden of excessive borrowings made beyond limits during the previous government’s tenure. Loans to the extent of ₹25,612 crore raised by the previous government at high interest rates were restructured at lower interest rates. Further, the repayment period was extended, and the principal repayment tenure was lengthened to between 20 and 39 years, he said.“Through this debt restructuring, the amount payable from 2025-26 to 2031-32 was reduced from ₹34,058 crore to ₹11,915 crore. As a result, the state’s cash outflow has reduced by ₹22,142 crore, providing liquidity relief,” he said, adding that in the current financial year, the government has converted high-interest loans of about ₹27,988 crore into lower-interest loans.The deputy chief minister announced the introduction of a new scheme “Indiramma Family Life Insurance Scheme” from June 2, 2026, to provide life insurance of ₹5 lakh to each of 11.50 million families across the state, irrespective of social divisions and financial status. “We have allocated ₹4,000 crore in the budget this year,” he said.He also announced the introduction of a new scheme called “Indira Soura Giri Jala Vikasam,” seeking to provide solar pump sets with 100% subsidy to Scheduled Tribes living in remote areas with a budget of ₹12,600 crore. “We will provide this facility to 2 lakh 10 thousand tribal farmers by encouraging plantation of forest-produce-related crops in 6 lakh acres of podu lands,” he said.Vikramarka also announced that from the academic year 2026-27, the government would launch a breakfast scheme across the state for students studying from pre-primary to Intermediate, with quality nutrition. Under this breakfast programme, every student will be given milk on three days a week and ragi malt on the remaining three days.“Similarly, the government will extend a new midday meal scheme to students pursuing Intermediate education in government junior colleges as well. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in the measures we are taking for student welfare,” he said.For students with disabilities pursuing Intermediate education, the state government has decided to distribute retrofitted motorised vehicles to help them go to colleges, he added.The deputy chief minister also announced launching a cashless health security scheme for the 23 lakh-odd government employees and pensioners and all their dependent family members. It will be implemented through the Rajiv Aarogyasri Trust.“Under this scheme, treatment can be availed for 1,998 diseases in government hospitals as well as in 421 empanelled private hospitals. We will provide a digital health card to every employee,” he said.Another new scheme announced by the finance minister was the construction, development, and maintenance of selected roads under the Panchayat Raj Engineering Department through hybrid annuity mode (HAM) system.“In the first phase, 7,450 km of rural roads in 96 assembly constituencies will be taken up. Under this method, 40% of the cost will be borne by the state government, while the remaining 60% will be invested by the concessionaire. This 60% will be repaid by the state government over 15 years in 30 annuities. The responsibility of maintaining these roads will also rest with the investor,” he said, adding in the coming financial year, it was proposed to construct 2,980 km of roads.“Despite facing many financial challenges on one side, our government has prepared this budget in a balanced way so that there will be no shortage of funds for development and welfare programmes. Without placing any additional burden on the common man through taxation, our people’s government believes in making best use of available resources, creating new wealth, and sharing it with the people,” Vikramarka added.