Gairsain, March 9 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami presented the state's budget for the financial year 2026-27 on Monday, with an outlay of Rs 1.11 lakh crore, 10 per cent higher than the current fiscal year.
This was Dhami's first budget after taking over the finance portfolio following the resignation of Premchand Agrawal last year.
The budget estimates a revenue surplus of Rs 2,536.33 crore.
The state's revenue expenditure is estimated at Rs 64,989.44 crore, and capital expenditure at Rs 46,713.73 crore.
Total capital receipts are estimated at Rs 42,617.35 crore, while revenue receipts are projected at Rs 67,525.77 crore.
The fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs 12,579.70 crore, within 3 per cent of GSDP. Total debt is also projected to be within the prescribed limit of 32.50 per cent of the state's gross domestic product (GSDP).
While presenting the budget in the state assembly, Chief Minister Dhami said that the government has focused on the vision of inclusive development, self-reliance, new thinking, and rapid development, while moving towards developing advanced villages and cities and ensuring economic empowerment of its people.
The chief minister said that his government's resolve is to advance the overall development of the state through the model of knowledge, focusing on four main pillars -- the poor, youth, farmers, and women empowerment.
The budget session began on Monday in the state's summer capital, where opposition Congress MLAs created a ruckus during Governor Gurmit Singh's address.
As soon as the house proceedings began, opposition members shouted slogans like "Who is the VIP in the Ankita Bhandari murder case?" and stormed the Speaker's podium. Congress members continued sloganeering for about 15 minutes before walking out of the House.
However, opposition members participated in the proceedings during the chief minister's budget speech.
Earlier, Congress legislators, led by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Yashpal Arya, staged a sit-in at the main gate of the assembly complex, holding posters to protest against various issues, including unemployment and the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.