Telangana Govt Tables ₹3.04L-Cr Budget With Focus on Welfare, Industrial Growth

Telangana finance minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday presented a ₹3.04 lakh crore state budget for 2025-26 in the assembly, announcing a "Mega Master Plan 2050" for industrial development not just in IT hub Hyderabad but across the Telugu state.

- Srinivasa Rao Apparasu

HYDERABAD: Telangana finance minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday presented a ₹3.04 lakh crore state budget for 2025-26 in the assembly, announcing a "Mega Master Plan 2050" for industrial development not just in IT hub Hyderabad but across the Telugu state.

Tabling the financial document in the assembly, Vikramarka, who is also the deputy chief minister, proposed a total expenditure of ₹3,04,965 crore for the upcoming financial year, with revenue expenditure of ₹2,26,982 crore and capital expenditure of ₹36,504 crore for FY26. Rest of the spending is loans and advances and capital disbursements (repayment of loans), which the state has not counted towards capex.

The fiscal deficit is estimated to be around 3% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of ₹17,96,491 crore in FY26, while the net deficit is pegged at ₹498.45 crore.

The budget, however, estimates that there will be a revenue surplus of ₹2,738 crore with revenue receipts projected at ₹2,29,720 crore. On public debt outstanding that falls under the limits of Fiscal Responsibility and Budgetary Management (FRBM) Act, the minister projected it at ₹5,04,814 crore in FY26, as against the revised estimates of ₹4,51,203 crore, accounting for 28.1% of the GSDP.

"Inspired by secular values, the Congress government has designed this budget for equitable distribution of resources to all classes of society and to establish a system free from inequalities," Vikramarka said in his budget speech.

He also announced a "Mega Master Plan 2050", which aims for decentralising industrial development, ensuring Hyderabad is not the sole hub of industrial progress and that all regions of the state experience balanced and sustainable growth.