Ranchi, Feb 18: The Budget Session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly commenced on Wednesday with Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar outlining the state government’s achievements in law enforcement, investment mobilisation and welfare delivery, while reiterating its commitment to “growth in harmony with nature.”
The session, which began with the Governor’s address, will have 17 working days and continue till March 19. The Annual Budget for 2026–27 is scheduled to be presented on February 24, while the Third Supplementary Budget for 2025–26 will also be tabled during the session.
Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato described the Budget Session as a guiding document for the state’s development trajectory and urged members to ensure meaningful, fact-based and constructive participation in discussions on policies, schemes, financial priorities, demands for grants and cut motions. Proceedings are being conducted partially paperless through the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA).
In his address, the Governor said the state is advancing on the principle of “growth in harmony with nature” and emphasised inclusive development and social harmony, while seeking cooperative support from the Centre.
Highlighting law and order measures, he said the government has adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards crime and corruption to ensure a “crime-free and fear-free environment.” In 2025, as many as 1,413 cybercrime cases were reported, leading to 1,268 arrests. Authorities blocked transactions worth ₹111 crore and returned nearly ₹12 crore to victims, while 54 public servants were arrested in corruption-related cases. The state also prevented over one lakh child marriages under a special campaign.
On the economic front, the Governor said Jharkhand secured investment proposals worth approximately ₹1.27 lakh crore following global outreach initiatives, including participation at the World Economic Forum in Davos and meetings in the United Kingdom. The MSME (Special Concession) Act, 2025 has been implemented to simplify compliance and promote enterprise growth.
In agriculture, ₹2,307 crore in farm loans has been waived and around 14 lakh farmers were covered under a crop insurance scheme at a token premium of ₹1. Irrigation facilities have expanded across 4.5 lakh hectares, while fish production reached 3.63 lakh metric tonnes last year.
Under welfare initiatives, more than 51 lakh beneficiaries were covered under the Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana. In education, 480 government schools have been approved for science laboratories, and STEM labs are being established in 24 districts. Pre-matric scholarships worth ₹337 crore were transferred to 17.5 lakh students through direct benefit transfer.
In healthcare, ₹1,074 crore has been approved for a new medical college and RIMS-2 in Ranchi, and 145 urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are operational.
Infrastructure development includes 116 road projects worth ₹3,112 crore, construction of 1,644 km of rural roads and strengthening of 5,400 km of existing roads. More than 7,000 villages are now covered under functional household tap water connections.
The Governor concluded by reiterating the government’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable development as the House prepares to deliberate on the state’s financial roadmap for the coming fiscal year.
