Guwahati, Feb 11 (IANS) Hailing the Union Budget 2026-27 as historic and futuristic, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Wednesday that Rs 6,812 crore has been allocated to the Ministry of Development of the Northeastern Region (MDoNER), which is Rs 897 crore more than the previous Budget.
The Budget will bring positive change to the nation as well as to the Northeastern region, he added.
Addressing a press conference here, Chouhan also informed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has approved the proposal of the Assam government for the procurement of 60,500 MT rapeseed/mustard for the Rabi 2026 season at the Minimum Support Price under the Price Support Scheme in the state.
About Assam, the minister said that for FY 2026–27, Rs 49,725 crore has been budgeted towards tax devolution.
Since 2014, Assam has received approximately Rs 3.12 lakh crore through tax devolution, he noted.
Among the healthcare initiatives announced in the Budget is Biopharma SHAKTI (Strategy for Healthcare Advancement through Knowledge, Technology and Innovation), with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore over five years, aimed at strengthening domestic capabilities in biologics and biosimilars to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.
As part of this initiative, existing institutions such as NIPER Guwahati will be upgraded, contributing to research, innovation and skilled manpower development in the region, the Union Minister said.
Chouhan further informed that the agriculture budget has been increased to Rs 1,32,561 crore this year, reinforcing the Narendra Modi government’s commitment to farmers’ welfare.
“A provision of Rs 9,967 crore has been made for agricultural education and research to strengthen innovation and scientific advancement. To ensure the availability of affordable fertilisers and reduce production costs for farmers, a fertiliser subsidy of Rs 1,70,944 crore has been provided,” he said.
Regarding the Ministry of Rural Development, Chouhan said its budget has been increased by 21 per cent this year.
Within this, a provision of over Rs 1.51 lakh crore has been made for the ‘VB – G RAM G’ Act as compared to Rs 86,000 crore under the previous MGNREG Act, he noted.
–IANS
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