- Nirmala Sitharaman leads pre-budget consultations in New Delhi
- States, UTs stress continuation of SASCI with higher funding
- Over ₹4.25 lakh crore released since 2020-21 under SASCI
- Suggestions to be considered for Union Budget 2026–27
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 11th Jan: Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday chaired the pre-budget consultation meeting with States and Union Territories with Legislatures in New Delhi, as part of preparations for the Union Budget 2026–27.
The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, the Governor of Manipur, Chief Ministers of Goa, Haryana, Meghalaya, Sikkim, the UT of Delhi and the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, Deputy Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana, along with Finance Ministers and senior representatives of various States and UTs. Senior officials from the Union Ministry of Finance and State and UT governments were also present.
During the consultation, participants offered a range of suggestions for the forthcoming budget. Several States emphasised the importance of continuing the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) with enhanced allocations, citing its role in accelerating asset creation and supporting capital investments across States and UTs with Legislatures.
Since 2020–21, the Union Government has released over ₹4.25 lakh crore as 50-year interest-free loans to States under the SASCI scheme.
Sitharaman thanked all participants for their inputs and assured them that the suggestions would be carefully examined and suitably considered while finalising the Union Budget 2026–27.
