Overview
- Opposition leader Jai Ram Thakur intensified his attack Monday in the Assembly debate, calling the 2026-27 budget a bundle of lies, and the House expects a detailed reply from the chief minister on Wednesday.
- The plan cuts the outlay to Rs 54,928 crore from Rs 58,514 crore as Sukhu pegs debt near Rs 1.04 lakh crore with about Rs 10,000 crore to be borrowed and roughly Rs 13,500 crore to be repaid.
- Salary deferments are set at 3% for Class I and II staff, 20% for MLAs, 30% for ministers and top bureaucrats, and 50% for the chief minister, with Class III and IV workers and pensioners exempt.
- Alongside restraint, the budget offers rural relief through higher minimum prices for grains, milk and wool and new support for fishermen and shepherds, a tilt observers link to local body elections expected in the coming months.
- Sukhu blames the squeeze on the Centre ending the Revenue Deficit Grant, estimated near Rs 50,000 crore over 2026–31, while BJP leaders argue central transfers remain strong and cite an Andhra Pradesh court fight to question salary holds under Article 360.