Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday presented a tax-free Rs 2.05 lakh crore budget for 2025-26, with various initiatives, including earmarking Rs 5,000 crore for 'Lado Lakshmi Yojana' and setting up an authority to tackle drug abuse. Presenting the budget in the state Assembly, Saini said he received around 11,000 suggestions from various sections regarding the state budget.
Saini did not impose any fresh tax in the budget, whose special focus included sectors like agriculture, education, health, women empowerment and infrastructure.
"If agriculture is the backbone of our economy, then education and health are its two pillars...," said Saini during his over two-and-half hour speech.
The state government decided to give the benefit of Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) to the employees of the Haryana government, on the lines of the UPS notified by the Centre on January 24, 2025, Saini said.
Under this scheme, a monthly payout of at least Rs 10,000 will be given, 30 per cent of that amount as a family payout, he said, while adding both these benefits will be provided after a minimum service of ten years.
Retired employees will receive the full benefit of the payout after 25 years of service. The scheme will benefit nearly 2 lakh state government employees.
Sharing details of the proposals in his maiden budget address, Saini said a new department named "Department of Future" will be created to make Haryana "future capable".
"This department will anticipate upcoming challenges, disparities, and new opportunities for economic development. It will provide policy recommendations to all other departments and work to enhance their capacity over time," he said.
Saini, who holds the finance portfolio, said the budget envisages an outlay of Rs 2,05,017.29 crore for 2025-26, up 13.70 per cent from revised estimates of 2024-25.
Saini recited the Shanti Mantra "Om Sahana Vavatu..." before he began to read out the budget proposals. He said that his five-month old government has fulfilled 19 out of 217 promises of the poll manifesto while 90 more will be fulfilled in 2025-26.
He said in FY26, a new Model Sanskriti school will be established within every 10 km radius in the state.
Saini said in the last 10 years, the Haryana government laid great emphasis on e-governance. "..I propose the establishment of the Haryana AI (Artificial Intelligence) Mission, in which the World Bank has assured to provide assistance of Rs 474 crore."
This AI mission will establish hubs in Gurugram and Panchkula and train over 50,000 youth and professionals in cutting-edge technologies, equipping them for new job opportunities and future challenges.
To promote startups, the Haryana government will encourage private investors to create a 'fund of funds' of Rs 2,000 crore. Saini also proposed setting up of 'Substance Abuse and Narcotics Knowledge Awareness and Liberation Programme Authority'.
About 'Lado Lakshmi Yojana', Saini said Rs 5,000 crore has been proposed for Rs 2,100 monthly assistance to women under the scheme for 2025-26.
Ahead of the October 2024 Assembly polls, the BJP had promised to provide the amount to women each month if it returned to power.
When Saini said a budgetary provision has been made for the scheme which is being finalized, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda stood up and said, "I am asking what is the criteria of this scheme. Will all women get it, government should tell."
In response, Saini said, "We have made a provision in the budget and there is no dearth of funds in fulfilling this promise. We are preparing the criteria".
He later told reporters once the criteria is prepared, it will be put up before the Cabinet. Meanwhile, Saini said the Haryana government will formulate "Make in Haryana" programme on the lines of "Make in India" policy of the Centre.
He also proposed to set up a Horticulture Research Centre in Palwal and flower market in Gurugram.
Saini said his government is committed to solving the serious problem of 'donkey route' and said for this purpose, a bill will be brought in this session.
'Donkey route' refers to an illegal and risky pathway used by migrants to enter America by spending lakhs of rupees.
"We will try to provide international employment to the youth through Haryana Overseas Employment Cell and Haryana Skill and Employment Corporation."
He said a new horticulture policy will be brought so that those registered as cooperative societies also get the benefit of government schemes like the farmer producer organisations.
He also proposed that women farmers engaged in dairy farming, horticulture, animal husbandry and fisheries will be given an interest-free loan of Rs 1 lakh.
On the farming sector, Saini said under "Mera Pani Meri Virasat Yojana", subsidy amount being given to farmers who give up paddy cultivation will be hiked from Rs 7,000 per acre to Rs 8,000 per acre. He also proposed increasing the subsidy amount for direct sowing of paddy from Rs 4,000 per acre to Rs 4,500 per acre.
The subsidy to farmers managing paddy straw will be hiked from Rs 1,000 per acre to Rs 1,200, he said adding a bill will be brought to save farmers from fake seeds and pesticides.
Saini also proposed to establish a multi-storey and air-conditioned flower market in Gurugram. He also proposed building a new cow sanctuary in every district and providing one e-rickshaw to the Gaushalas with 1,000 cattle and two to those with more than 1,000 cattle.
In the health sector, Saini proposed to establish nine modern maternal and child health centres in district hospitals of Panchkula, Panipat, Faridabad, Sonipat, Palwal, Sirsa, Kaithal, Mahendragarh and the medical college in Nuh.
The number of MBBS seats in the state will be increased from 2,185 to 2,485 for upcoming financial year.
To provide housing facility to the workers at affordable rates, dormitories and single room units will be constructed in all industrial estates. For sportspersons, Saini proposed to bring 'Khiladi Bima Yojana' under which medal winners at national level and players participating in international level competitions will get medical coverage of up to Rs 20 lakh.
He said new sports excellence centres will be opened in five universities of the state. With an aim of bringing at least 36 medals in Olympics 2036, the "Mission Olympics 2036 Vijayi Bhava" scheme will be started, for which a provision of Rs 20 crore will be made, he said.
Saini said that in 2014-2015, Haryana's GDP was Rs 4,37,145 crore, whereas the estimated GDP for 2024-25 is Rs 12,13,951 crore. The per capita income for the corresponding period rose from Rs 1,47,382 to Rs 3,53,182.
The state's GDP has grown at an average annual rate of 10.8 per cent and the per capita income at 9.1 per cent.
Saini did not impose any fresh tax in the budget, whose special focus included sectors like agriculture, education, health, women empowerment and infrastructure.
"If agriculture is the backbone of our economy, then education and health are its two pillars...," said Saini during his over two-and-half hour speech.
The state government decided to give the benefit of Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) to the employees of the Haryana government, on the lines of the UPS notified by the Centre on January 24, 2025, Saini said.
Under this scheme, a monthly payout of at least Rs 10,000 will be given, 30 per cent of that amount as a family payout, he said, while adding both these benefits will be provided after a minimum service of ten years.
Retired employees will receive the full benefit of the payout after 25 years of service. The scheme will benefit nearly 2 lakh state government employees.
Sharing details of the proposals in his maiden budget address, Saini said a new department named "Department of Future" will be created to make Haryana "future capable".
"This department will anticipate upcoming challenges, disparities, and new opportunities for economic development. It will provide policy recommendations to all other departments and work to enhance their capacity over time," he said.
Saini, who holds the finance portfolio, said the budget envisages an outlay of Rs 2,05,017.29 crore for 2025-26, up 13.70 per cent from revised estimates of 2024-25.
Saini recited the Shanti Mantra "Om Sahana Vavatu..." before he began to read out the budget proposals. He said that his five-month old government has fulfilled 19 out of 217 promises of the poll manifesto while 90 more will be fulfilled in 2025-26.
He said in FY26, a new Model Sanskriti school will be established within every 10 km radius in the state.
Saini said in the last 10 years, the Haryana government laid great emphasis on e-governance. "..I propose the establishment of the Haryana AI (Artificial Intelligence) Mission, in which the World Bank has assured to provide assistance of Rs 474 crore."
This AI mission will establish hubs in Gurugram and Panchkula and train over 50,000 youth and professionals in cutting-edge technologies, equipping them for new job opportunities and future challenges.
To promote startups, the Haryana government will encourage private investors to create a 'fund of funds' of Rs 2,000 crore. Saini also proposed setting up of 'Substance Abuse and Narcotics Knowledge Awareness and Liberation Programme Authority'.
About 'Lado Lakshmi Yojana', Saini said Rs 5,000 crore has been proposed for Rs 2,100 monthly assistance to women under the scheme for 2025-26.
Ahead of the October 2024 Assembly polls, the BJP had promised to provide the amount to women each month if it returned to power.
When Saini said a budgetary provision has been made for the scheme which is being finalized, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda stood up and said, "I am asking what is the criteria of this scheme. Will all women get it, government should tell."
In response, Saini said, "We have made a provision in the budget and there is no dearth of funds in fulfilling this promise. We are preparing the criteria".
He later told reporters once the criteria is prepared, it will be put up before the Cabinet. Meanwhile, Saini said the Haryana government will formulate "Make in Haryana" programme on the lines of "Make in India" policy of the Centre.
He also proposed to set up a Horticulture Research Centre in Palwal and flower market in Gurugram.
Saini said his government is committed to solving the serious problem of 'donkey route' and said for this purpose, a bill will be brought in this session.
'Donkey route' refers to an illegal and risky pathway used by migrants to enter America by spending lakhs of rupees.
"We will try to provide international employment to the youth through Haryana Overseas Employment Cell and Haryana Skill and Employment Corporation."
He said a new horticulture policy will be brought so that those registered as cooperative societies also get the benefit of government schemes like the farmer producer organisations.
He also proposed that women farmers engaged in dairy farming, horticulture, animal husbandry and fisheries will be given an interest-free loan of Rs 1 lakh.
On the farming sector, Saini said under "Mera Pani Meri Virasat Yojana", subsidy amount being given to farmers who give up paddy cultivation will be hiked from Rs 7,000 per acre to Rs 8,000 per acre. He also proposed increasing the subsidy amount for direct sowing of paddy from Rs 4,000 per acre to Rs 4,500 per acre.
The subsidy to farmers managing paddy straw will be hiked from Rs 1,000 per acre to Rs 1,200, he said adding a bill will be brought to save farmers from fake seeds and pesticides.
Saini also proposed to establish a multi-storey and air-conditioned flower market in Gurugram. He also proposed building a new cow sanctuary in every district and providing one e-rickshaw to the Gaushalas with 1,000 cattle and two to those with more than 1,000 cattle.
In the health sector, Saini proposed to establish nine modern maternal and child health centres in district hospitals of Panchkula, Panipat, Faridabad, Sonipat, Palwal, Sirsa, Kaithal, Mahendragarh and the medical college in Nuh.
The number of MBBS seats in the state will be increased from 2,185 to 2,485 for upcoming financial year.
To provide housing facility to the workers at affordable rates, dormitories and single room units will be constructed in all industrial estates. For sportspersons, Saini proposed to bring 'Khiladi Bima Yojana' under which medal winners at national level and players participating in international level competitions will get medical coverage of up to Rs 20 lakh.
He said new sports excellence centres will be opened in five universities of the state. With an aim of bringing at least 36 medals in Olympics 2036, the "Mission Olympics 2036 Vijayi Bhava" scheme will be started, for which a provision of Rs 20 crore will be made, he said.
Saini said that in 2014-2015, Haryana's GDP was Rs 4,37,145 crore, whereas the estimated GDP for 2024-25 is Rs 12,13,951 crore. The per capita income for the corresponding period rose from Rs 1,47,382 to Rs 3,53,182.
The state's GDP has grown at an average annual rate of 10.8 per cent and the per capita income at 9.1 per cent.
