Bhopal, February 18 Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented the state budget for 2026-27 in the assembly on Wednesday, totaling Rs 4,38,317 crore.
Devda presented the budget amidst interruptions from the opposition, who raised concerns over the "increasing debt" burden on the people of the state.
Earlier, while chairing the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that the 2026-27 budget is historic in many respects and a model of the determination to move forward step by step, taking everyone along.
This budget is dedicated to the welfare of the poor, youth, farmers, and women, as well as the expansion of industrial activities, he said.
Before the budget presentation, Congress MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar, arrived in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the legislative complex with "empty piggy banks" and placards bearing slogans to protest against the government's economic policies.
Singhar claimed that the government's borrowing of Rs 5,600 crore even before the budget session is a sign that the state is being burdened with debt.
The government is "living on borrowed money" by borrowing from public funds and is only spreading illusions in the name of development, he alleged.
