Imphal: The Manipur budget for the 2025-26 fiscal has been deemed “inadequate” by the Communist Party of India (CPI) in addressing pressing issues such as ethnic violence, rising inflation, and unemployment. The Janata Dal (JD), on the other hand, termed the budget “not fully satisfactory”.
The Lok Sabha passed the Manipur budget on Tuesday, which entails an additional ₹51,463 crore in spending for the current fiscal. CPI state unit secretary Kshetrimayum Shanta expressed concerns that the budget fails to address the needs of over 60,000 people rendered homeless due to ethnic violence.
Shanta also criticized the budget for not providing adequate compensation for rebuilding houses destroyed in Churachandpur, Moreh, and parts of Imphal. Furthermore, he pointed out that the budget makes no mention of the devastating floods that hit the state, leaving many wondering what measures the government plans to take to curb rising inflation.
JD’s Manipur unit secretary Maisnam Dorendro acknowledged criticisms that the budget neglects internally displaced people but highlighted that previous assistance and funds have been allocated for them ¹.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the total receipts for Manipur are ₹35,368 crore, with total expenditure estimated at ₹35,104 crore. The state’s own tax revenue is approximately ₹2,634 crore, with non-tax revenue at ₹400 crore.
Sitharaman assured that the government is providing financial assistance to support Manipur’s economic recovery, similar to the support extended to Jammu and Kashmir. A ₹500 crore corpus has been allocated for a contingency fund for Manipur, which is currently under President’s Rule.
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