Union Budget 2025-26 strengthen Agriculture, Tourism, Air-Connectivity, Health & Education in Meghalaya

CM Conrad terms budget as ‘inclusive’ and ‘growth-oriented’

Shillong, Feb 1: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday presented the Budget 2025-26, leveraging the four growth engines i.e., Agriculture, MSMEs, Investments and Exports.

The 2025-26 budget, focuses on 10 broad areas including Agricultural Growth and Productivity, Rural Prosperity and Resilience, Taking Everyone Together on an Inclusive Growth path, Boosting Manufacturing and Furthering Make in India, Supporting MSMEs, Enabling Employment-led Development, investing in people, economy and innovation, Securing Energy Supplies, Promoting Exports and Nurturing Innovation.

Addressing the budget as visionary, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said, “The Union Budget 2025-26 reflects an inclusive and growth oriented financial framework that resonates with Meghalaya’s development objectives. The focused support from the Centre in key sectors, including agriculture, MSME, connectivity, and skilling, will drive our state’s growth, aligning with our vision of achieving a 10 billion USD economy.”

He added, “We are dedicated to harnessing these opportunities to accelerate development, generate employment, and move closer to our goal of doubling the GSDP. Together, we are shaping a prosperous future for the people of Meghalaya.”

Notably, among several key factors mentioned in the budget, the PM Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana will cover 100 districts with low productivity, moderate crop intensity and below-average banking parameters. This is expected to help low agricultural productivity districts of Meghalaya. In addition, the KCC loan limit will be increased to ₹5 lakh from the current limit of ₹3 lakh. This will benefit the large number of KCC beneficiaries in our State.

The decision to launch a modified Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme to connect 120 destinations aligns with the developmental potential of Meghalaya and its tourism. Presenting the Union Budget 2025-26, the Union Finance Minister said the modified scheme will help about four crore additional passengers in the next 10 years. The scheme will also support helipads and smaller airports in hilly and aspirational Districts across the country. This will improve air connectivity in States like Meghalaya, thereby giving its tourism industry a major boost.

In addition, the budget proposes development of about 50 tourist destinations in the country in partnership with the States. The States will provide land for key infrastructure needed. This will not only complement Meghalaya’s current investments and efforts in developing world-class tourism infrastructure, but also position our State as a global tourism destination.

The budget also addressed key aspects of the health and education sectors. The budget also increased allocations for Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 and enhanced the cost norms for nutritional support. This will help us address the challenges of malnourishment and stunting. Along with ECD Mission of Meghalaya, this will ensure a better future for the children. The Union Government will also facilitate setting up of daycare cancer centers in all district hospitals over the next three years. Notably 200 such hospitals will be established in 2025-26, and all the remaining districts will be covered in the next three years, thereby benefitting the Health Sector of Meghalaya.

Extension of broadband connectivity to all Government secondary and primary schools shall ensure better access to digital learning resources.

This initiative will further add to the State Government’s interventions in providing e-learning resources in Meghalaya and will not only improve educational outcomes but also enhance the employability of our students.

In a state where the young entrepreneurs are benefitted by flagship schemes like CM ELEVATE & PRIME, the increase in credit guarantee cover for MSMEs from Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore for micro and small units, from Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore for start-ups will provide stimulus for industrial growth. This access to credit along with the incentives offered by Meghalaya Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy will help the youth and entrepreneurs of Meghalaya.

The Finance Minister also highlighted that each infrastructure-related ministry will come up with a 3-year pipeline of projects that can be implemented in public-private partnership (PPP) mode- something which the Government of Meghalaya, under the leadership of Conrad K Sangma has been implementing across different sectors of development.

The continuation of the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment with an outlay of Rs. 1.5 lakh crore in this budget will further accelerate infrastructure development in our State. In 2023-24, we have utilized more than Rs 1300 crore under this scheme and in 2024-25 the utilization is expected to be more than Rs 2,000 crores.

With an increase in the total share of tax devolution to Meghalaya from Rs 9,566.09 crore to Rs 9,870.40 crore as per the RE 2024-25 announced by the Union Government, the B.E for 2025-26 is Rs 10,910.14 crore, an increase of Rs 1,039.74 crore from the RE 2024-25. As stated, these initiatives will not only foster growth and aid in realizing
CM’s vision of doubling the GSDP, but also in fulfilment of Meghalaya’s goal of becoming a 10 billion USD economy.

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