Agartala/Guwahati, Feb 1 (IANS) Chief Ministers and several ministers from the Northeastern states on Sunday hailed the Union Budget 2026-27, describing it as a visionary blueprint that will guide India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat by 2047.
They said the Budget lays down a clear 25-year roadmap focused on inclusive growth, infrastructure development, employment generation and regional empowerment.
Complimenting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting the Viksit Bharat Budget 2026, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Central Budget strikes a fine balance between India’s global aspirations and grassroots development.
“Assam and the eastern region stand to benefit meaningfully from this reform-oriented Budget,” Sarma said in a post on X.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, while congratulating the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, said the Budget is a visionary roadmap guiding India’s transformation into a developed nation by 2047.
“From manufacturing and world-class infrastructure to healthcare and tourism; from empowering rural heartlands to embracing cutting-edge AI; from modern sports arenas to sacred pilgrimage destinations, this Budget ignites the aspirations of our youth, women and farmers across every village, town and city,” Saha said in a post on X.
Nagaland’s Higher Education and Tourism Minister Temjen Imna Along said the Union Budget sends a strong signal that services, education and tourism will be central to India’s next phase of growth, with direct relevance for Nagaland.
He said the proposal to establish University Townships along major corridors, along with the creation of a high-powered ‘Education to Employment and Enterprise’ standing committee, reinforces the need to align higher education with employability and entrepreneurship, an area where Nagaland has already initiated reforms.
For the tourism sector, Along welcomed the upgradation of the National Council for Hotel Management into a National Institute of Hospitality, the pilot programme to train 10,000 certified tourist guides, and the creation of a National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid, saying these measures will professionalise tourism and create new opportunities for local youth.
He added that the Budget’s focus on MSMEs, start-ups and creative industries, including AVGC and design education, offers pathways for young people to participate in the orange economy without migrating out of the region.
Mizoram Tourism Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar said the Budget places tourism at the intersection of employment generation, cultural preservation and sustainable regional development, aligning closely with Mizoram’s priorities.
He said the emphasis on eco-sensitive tourism, professional skilling, hospitality education and digital documentation marks a shift from volume-driven tourism to value-based, experience-oriented models.
The National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid, he added, would help showcase lesser-known destinations and open opportunities for local youth and creative professionals.
Minister Hmar also welcomed the rise in public capital expenditure to Rs 12.2 lakh crore, stating that improved last-mile connectivity would enhance access to interior tourism circuits.
Support for MSMEs, women-led enterprises and community entrepreneurship would ensure that tourism growth remains inclusive, he added.
Arunachal Pradesh Tourism, Education, Rural Works and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona said the Union Budget reflects a mature understanding of India’s diversity by focusing on capacity-building, connectivity and cultural continuity.
For Arunachal Pradesh, he said the emphasis on Purvodaya, sustained capital expenditure, and enhanced fiscal devolution under the 16th Finance Commission strengthens the foundation for decentralised and long-term growth.
Sona said the Budget marks a shift from welfare delivery to capability creation, citing initiatives such as University Townships, district-level girls’ hostels and the Education-to-Employment Standing Committee as especially relevant for remote and border regions.
He also highlighted the focus on digital documentation of heritage through the National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid, support for high-value agriculture, including agarwood, expansion of SHE Marts under the Lakhpati Didi framework, and improved last-mile connectivity as measures that would boost rural livelihoods and women-led enterprises.
The proposed Buddhist Circuit scheme, he added, reinforces Arunachal Pradesh’s role as a civilisational bridge between India and Asia.
Leaders from the Northeastern states said the Union Budget 2026–27 provides a balanced, future-ready roadmap that links education, infrastructure, cultural preservation and economic opportunity, empowering the region as an active contributor to Viksit Bharat.
–IANS
sc/dan