Union Budget 2026: There isn't much time left until the Union Budget 2026.  Therefore, people from all walks of life, including the states, have many expectations from the upcoming budget. The central government has also started its preparations in full swing.

Union Budget 2026: There isn't much time left until the Union Budget 2026.  Therefore, people from all walks of life, including the states, have many expectations from the upcoming budget. The central government has also started its preparations in full swing to ensure that the needs of all sections of society are taken into account.

In this regard, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a pre-budget consultation meeting with the Finance Ministers of states and Union Territories in New Delhi on Saturday, January 10.  Priorities and suggestions related to Budget 2026 were discussed in the meeting. Let's find out what issues were discussed in the meeting...

Issues discussed

During the meeting, several states requested the continuation of the Special Assistance Scheme for Capital Investment. They also emphasised the need for increased allocation for the scheme. State representatives said that this scheme is helping to accelerate development work in states and Union Territories with legislatures.

Through this scheme, new assets are being created, and capital investment is also receiving strong support. According to the data, the central government has released more than Rs 4.25 lakh crore for this scheme since the financial year 2020-21.

States that participated

The Chief Ministers of Delhi, Goa, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, and Sikkim were present at the meeting. The Deputy Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Telangana, along with Finance Ministers and other representatives from states and Union Territories, also participated in the meeting. Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and the Governor of Manipur also attended the meeting.

Several senior officials from the Ministry of Finance were also part of the meeting from the central government's side. These included the secretaries of the Department of Economic Affairs, the Department of Expenditure, and the Department of Revenue, as well as other officials from the central and state governments.