Chhattisgarh’s 'SANKALP' budget eyes on tribal belt of Bastar-Surguja, FM blends welfare, infra push

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh on Monday rolled out a ₹1.72-lakh-crore “SANKALP” budget that puts Bastar and Surguja at the heart of its next development phase, pairing big-ticket infrastructure spending with welfare continuity and a security push in insurgency-hit area that aims to get Maoist-free.

Framed as a shift from policy intent to execution, the budget blends roads, infrastructure and connectivity expansion with targeted regional schemes and additional 1500 Bastar Fighter posts.Chhattisgarh finance minister O P Choudhary presented his third state budget on Tuesday in the present BJP govt at the new Vidhan Sabha building in Nava Raipur. Budget at a glanceThe budget pegs the state’s Gross State Domestic Product at about ₹7.09 lakh crore for 2026–27.

Total receipts and expenditure are both estimated at ₹1.72 lakh crore, with revenue expenditure at around ₹1.45 lakh crore and capital spending at about ₹26,500 crore. The fiscal deficit is projected at roughly ₹20,400 crore, or 2.87% of GSDP, remaining within the prescribed limits.In the state budget, the tribal belts of Bastar and Surguja emerge as a clear priority, with the budget combining development initiatives with security expansion.

The plan includes funding for Bastar–Surguja Olympics, a chief minister bus service scheme in remote areas and a homestay tourism policy. Along with livelihood schemes such as livestock-based income support and additional nutrition programmes, the government has also extended support for medical colleges in Dantewada, Kunkuri and Manendragarh, to balance development with stabilisation in Left Wing Extremism-affected areas.At its core, Choudhary said, 'Sankalp' is the approach aimed at ensuring balanced regional development while strengthening economic expansion and social equity together.Infrastructure spending forms a major pillar of the budget. The Public Works Department has been allocated over ₹9,400 crore for roads and connectivity, while new provisions include fast-lane corridors under the Mukhyamantri Drutgami Sadak scheme, airport upgrades in Bilaspur, Ambikapur and Jagdalpur and investments in urban infrastructure and power networks. Big schemes to dominateOn the welfare front, large allocations continue for flagship schemes such as ₹10,000 crore for Krishak Unnati Yojana, ₹8,200 crore for Mahtari Vandan support for women and substantial provisions for food security, housing and power subsidies. Mission-mode governanceThe government has also announced five chief ministerial missions covering artificial intelligence, tourism, sports development, infrastructure planning and startups, each backed by dedicated funding to drive focused implementation.

Officials say these missions are designed to push outcome-driven governance and accelerate transformation in emerging sectors.Overall, the budget attempts to strike a balance between welfare continuity and growth investments, with a strong regional tilt towards Bastar and Surguja and a visible push to anchor development through infrastructure and mission-mode governance.