Raipur, March 9 (NationPress) The Chhattisgarh Assembly convened on Monday to endorse a significant allocation of over Rs 14,655.74 crore for the fiscal year 2026-27.

This budget encompasses vital funding for sectors such as Public Health Engineering, Urban Administration and Development, Public Works (including Roads, Bridges, and Buildings), and Sports and Youth Welfare.

During the discussions in the House, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao underscored that the budget is a clear representation of the state government's objectives, policies, and initiatives.

He pointed out the thematic evolution of the budgets under the Bharatiya Janata Party administration: knowledge in the first year, acceleration in the second, and commitment (Sankalp) this year.

These strategies aim to meet public welfare expectations and fulfill the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the outset, as stated by Deputy CM Arun Sao.

In the realm of Public Health Engineering, Deputy CM Sao emphasized the robust support for the completion of Jal Jeevan Mission projects, prioritizing those that are over 80% completed and ensuring transparent payments.

Over the past two and a half years, 5,077 tanks have been constructed, and more than 5,028 villages have been certified as 'Har Ghar Jal'.

Out of 29,173 approved single-village projects, 7,000 have reached completion.

For the financial year 2026-27, Rs 3,000 crore is designated to provide tap water to approximately nine lakh families and to finalize outstanding projects, along with Rs 50 crore allocated for operations and maintenance.

Furthermore, Rs 260 crore is aimed at 44 group water supply initiatives under NABARD in rural areas with low groundwater levels, Rs 20 crore for state-funded group scheme maintenance, Rs 30 crore for urban project loans, and specific allocations such as Rs 2 crore for the Sirri scheme in Dhamtari and Rs 10 crore for reservoir supply to villages.

Two new initiatives were introduced in Urban Administration: Rs 100 crore for underground electrification and Rs 200 crore for the Adarsh Shahar Samriddhi Yojana. In Public Works, Rs 9,451 crore has been allocated for the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, and buildings, with a focus on flyovers in Raipur and divisional headquarters to alleviate traffic and reduce accidents (including Rs 51 crore for road safety).

In a significant milestone for Chhattisgarh's silver jubilee, PM Modi inaugurated the new Assembly building, alongside the completion of 148 other buildings and 225 ground-breaking ceremonies held this year.

Sports initiatives include the launch of the Chief Minister's Sports Excellence Mission with Rs 100 crore, Rs 57 crore each for the Chhattisgarh Sports Promotion Scheme and for sports academies, Rs 15 crore for the State Youth Festival, and Rs 5 crore each for the Bastar and Surguja Olympics.