First ever pre-budget consultation held, Govt commits to pro-people development

Shillong, Feb 12: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, who also holds the finance portfolio, chaired the state’s first-ever pre-budget consultation for the 2025-26 fiscal year on Wednesday. The discussion focused on revenue augmentation, fiscal management, and citizen participation in the budget-making process.

Delivering the keynote address, chief minister underscored the importance of public engagement. “This budget is for the farmers, entrepreneurs, and all stakeholders. We may not include all the suggestions immediately, but will include as we move forward. The suggestion from the public could be game-changer,” the chief minister asserted.

The initiative is a participatory model, wherein the policies are moulded based on the feedback of the people. This first of its kind intervention has been viewed by participating stakeholders as ‘pro-people’ and ‘revolutionary’.

An elderly participant said that they never imagined that government will involve public in the budget preparation exercise. “This is the first time, we are getting to understand the process of budget preparation and how funds are allocated and programmes of the government are implemented,” he said.

Talking about the financial growth in the state, the chief minister credited improved fund utilization for the state’s economic growth. “Funds are available in Delhi, but our ability to absorb and implement them efficiently is the key, while we engage with Government of India to pitch for funding our welfare and development intervention.”

“Meghalaya’s 16.2% growth rate, surpassing the national average, reflects this progress,” the chief minister remarked.

On tax collection, the chief minister stated that the tax collection has doubled in six years—from ₹1,450 crore to ₹3,217 crore. He also said that the excise revenue alone surged from ₹199 crore in 2018 to ₹458 crore in the last fiscal, with expectations of crossing ₹500 crore this year.

The chief minister attributed the growth in revenue college to policy reforms and technology-driven monitoring systems that have curbed the revenue leakages.

On urban challenges, the chief minister stressed on the need for expanding Shillong and developing new administrative hubs to tackle congestion. “Decongesting Shillong requires planned urban expansion and the creation of knowledge cities as growth centers,” he added.

Responding to public queries from Facebook LIVE, the chief minister reiterated government’s commitment to strengthening higher education and upgrading schools. He said that the ongoing investments in government school infrastructure and the establishment of 23 new peoples’ colleges to enhance skill development and training, are interventions that aims to upscale education amenities.

Stating that feedback from public play a vital role in governance, he said, “CM Connect is an intervention that aims to foster transparency and accountability in system I welcome criticism because it pushes us to improve governance and service delivery.”

The consultation also featured a budget presentation by Dr. Vijay Kumar D, Commissioner and Secretary, Finance Department.

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