Jharkhand's Progressive Budget Prioritizes Women and Children with Massive Allocation
In a landmark move emphasizing social welfare, Jharkhand Finance Minister Radha Krishana Kishore presented the state budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 on Tuesday. The budget demonstrates a strong commitment to gender equality and child development, with a substantial allocation of Rs 45,004.43 crore dedicated specifically to these sectors. This impressive figure constitutes 28.38% of the state's total budgetary outlay of Rs 1,58,560 crore, signaling a significant policy shift towards inclusive growth.
Child Budget Receives Major Boost with 15% Increase
The child budget component has been allocated Rs 10,793.16 crore, marking a substantial increase of approximately 15% compared to the Rs 9,411 crore provided in the previous fiscal year 2025-26. This allocation supports 138 distinct child-related schemes across various departments. Finance Minister Kishore emphasized the strategic importance of this initiative, stating, "The objective behind setting up a child budget is to make efforts for the proper development of children and to provide necessary support for the implementation of child-related schemes in the state."
Comprehensive Gender Budget Targets Women's Empowerment
Parallel to the child-focused initiatives, the gender budget for 2026-27 stands at Rs 34,211.27 crore. This comprehensive allocation covers 232 women-focused schemes distributed across 17 different state departments, ensuring a multi-faceted approach to gender empowerment.
Key initiatives under the gender budget include:
- Mahila Kisan Khushhali Yojna: A new scheme launched with an allocation of Rs 25 crore to connect women farmers with integrated farming practices, provide technological support, and facilitate access to both online and offline marketing platforms.
- Women Farmers' Empowerment: An overall expenditure of approximately Rs 70 crore has been proposed to support women farmers throughout the financial year.
- Palash Mart Support: Continuing the promotion of self-reliance among women, products manufactured by sakhi mandals will be marketed through Palash Mart, with Rs 66 crore allocated for this purpose.
Departmental Allocations and Specific Welfare Schemes
The Department of Women, Child Development and Social Security has received the lion's share of the social welfare allocation, with Rs 22,995.69 crore earmarked for its various programs. Among the most significant schemes is the Mukhyamantri Maiyya Samman Yojna, which provides Rs 2,500 per month to women aged 18-50 years. This scheme has been allocated Rs 14,065.57 crore for 2026-27, representing an increase of over Rs 700 crore from the previous year's allocation.
Combatting Malnutrition and Enhancing Healthcare Infrastructure
The budget addresses critical health challenges with targeted allocations:
- Nutritional Support: Rs 829.99 crore has been earmarked to provide nutritional supplements to 2.6 lakh pregnant and lactating women, along with 21.34 lakh children below six years of age.
- Adolescent Health: An additional Rs 41.26 crore has been allocated to provide nutritional supplements to adolescent girls aged 14-18 years, specifically targeting the prevention of malnutrition and anaemia.
- Healthcare Infrastructure: The government has announced plans to install mammography machines in all 24 district sadar hospitals to facilitate early detection of breast cancer, representing a significant advancement in women's healthcare access.
Expanding Early Childhood Education Infrastructure
Recognizing the importance of early childhood development, the budget allocates Rs 176 crore for the construction of 1,100 new anganwadi centers. Furthermore, Rs 260.17 crore has been set aside to provide uniforms, sweaters, and essential educational materials to 10.76 lakh children aged 3-5 years enrolled in these centers, ensuring both physical comfort and educational support for young learners.
This comprehensive budgetary approach reflects Jharkhand's commitment to building a more equitable society through targeted investments in its most vulnerable populations. The substantial increases across multiple welfare categories demonstrate a clear policy priority towards sustainable social development and inclusive economic growth.
