Union Minister for Rural Development, and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan today described the Union Budget 2026–27 as “historic” and “unprecedented”, saying that it lays a strong foundation for a developed and self-reliant India under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Shri Chouhan said the Budget has been presented for the 12th time under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and that Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman has become the first woman Finance Minister to present the Union Budget for the ninth consecutive time, which he said is a matter of immense pride for the country.

“This Union Budget is an epic that will realise the dream of a Developed India (Viksit Bharat). It is a Budget for social prosperity and fulfilment of national resolve. It is a dynamic Budget for a Developed India. Inspired by the Prime Minister’s foresight and vision, this Budget is laying a strong foundation for a self-reliant, empowered and prosperous India by 2047. This Budget is writing a new chapter by bringing about transformative change in the lives of farmers, youth, women and the poor — the four pillars of the nation,” Shri Chouhan said.

A budget for villages, the poor, farmers, youth and women

The Union Minister said the Budget has been framed keeping in mind villages, the poor, farmers, youth and women. He said poverty has been steadily declining due to schemes being implemented under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and that this Union Budget is extremely important from the perspective of making the poor self-reliant.

‘Lakhpati Didi’ and ‘SHE-Mart’: A major step towards making rural women entrepreneurs

Shri Chouhan said that taking forward the success of the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme, the Union Budget has made provisions for Self-Help Entrepreneurs through ‘SHE-Mart’. Under this initiative, community-owned retail outlets will be established in every district as a platform to sell products made by women, where items produced by Self-Help Groups and rural women will get access to new markets. He said women engaged in animal husbandry, agriculture-related activities and other occupations will no longer remain limited to subsistence livelihoods but will move forward as entrepreneurs, which is the core objective of this initiative.

21% increase in Rural Development budget

The Union Minister said the budget of the Rural Development Ministry has been increased by 21 per cent this year. He stated that when the budgets of the rural development and agriculture departments are viewed together, the combined budget of the Rural Development and Agriculture ministries has now crossed ₹4,35,779 crore, reflecting the government’s commitment to villages and farmers.

Shri Chouhan said that within the overall Rural Development budget, a provision of over ₹1.51 lakh crore, including states’ contributions, has been made for the ‘Viksit Bharat G Ram G’ scheme alone. Speaking about MGNREGA, he said that earlier the overall MGNREGA budget was around ₹86,000 crore, while this time the Centre’s share alone has been increased to more than ₹95,692 crore. With the addition of the states’ share, the total allocation will exceed ₹1.51 lakh crore, which he described as “historic and unprecedented”.

Double direct assistance to panchayats, a major step towards developed and self-reliant villages

Shri Chouhan said that under the latest decision of the 16th Finance Commission, more than ₹55,900 crore will be transferred directly to panchayats. Drawing a comparison, the Union Minister said that during the earlier five years, panchayats had received around ₹2.36 lakh crore directly, which has now increased to about ₹4.35 lakh crore — almost double.

The Minister expressed confidence that the ₹1.51 lakh crore allocation under the ‘Viksit Bharat G Ram G’ scheme, together with ₹55,900 crore to be received under the Finance Commission, will play an unprecedented role in building developed, self-reliant, employment-oriented and poverty-free villages.

Significant rise in agriculture budget, strong focus on research and affordable fertilisers

Speaking on the agriculture sector, Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the agriculture department’s budget has been increased to ₹1,32,561 crore this year. He said a provision of ₹9,967 crore has been made for agricultural education and research, particularly for the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), which will strengthen research and innovation.

On fertiliser subsidy, he said that to ensure the availability of affordable fertilisers, a subsidy of ₹1,70,944 crore has been provided so that production costs are reduced and farmers get relief.

Direct benefits to farmers through National Fibre Scheme and medicinal plants

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that under the National Fibre Scheme, focus has been placed on fibres such as silk, wool and jute, which will provide direct benefits to farmers associated with these sectors. He also said that provisions related to the certification and export of medicinal plants under the Ministry of AYUSH will help increase the income of farmers cultivating medicinal plants.

The Union Minister said that along with traditional crops, clear provisions have been made for high-value crops such as coconut, cocoa, cashew and sandalwood. Arrangements have been made in the Budget for the rejuvenation of old coconut plantations and for planting new orchards. Shri Chouhan added that separate provisions have been made to increase the production of fruits and vegetables and to ensure their easy movement to consumers, so that farmers get better prices and consumers get easier access.

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