Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai described on Tuesday $A budget of Rs 1,72,000 crore for 2026-27 as a statement of intent for the future and a foundational step towards realizing the vision of ‘Fixit Chhattisgarh 2047’. But the opposition Congress described it as a “ChatGPT budget” that lacks seriousness and substance.
Finance Minister OP Chaudhary presented the annual budget in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, outlining the government’s priorities in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure, women empowerment, industrial growth and tribal development.
Describing the budget as transformative, Sai said: “Through record investments in agriculture, infrastructure, women empowerment and industrial expansion, we are building the structural strength needed to achieve sustainable double-digit growth.” He said that the government’s focus is strongly on comprehensive development to ensure that Bastar, Surguja and every village in the state actively participate in the growth process and benefit from it.
The Prime Minister said the budget is anchored on the SANKALP framework – Comprehensive Development, Infrastructure, Investment, Skilled Human Resource, Antyodaya, Livelihood and Policy towards Performance – with focus on last mile delivery and targeted development of tribal areas like Bastar and Surguja. He said that the renewed orientation towards these areas was among the main points in the financial proposals.
“Our government believes in working in mission mode. To achieve this, we have set up five Prime Minister’s Missions. Through these missions, the development of Chhattisgarh will gain a new direction, clearer focus and greater speed. I congratulate the people of the state on this wonderful budget,” Sai said.
In response, Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel launched a sharp attack, calling the fiscal plan a “ChatGPT budget”. In a post on X, Baghel said that after pushing the country into a difficult situation through “ignorance,” the finance minister delivered a speech that sounded like poetic verses often seen written behind trucks. He wrote: “This budget appears to have been written by ChatGPT, relying solely on artificial intelligence. It does not show the wisdom of the government nor the seriousness of its officials. In the end, nothing surpasses the wisdom of the people.”
Baghel compared the budget announcements to the repeated promise to fly a kite in phases without actually flying it, alleging that the government was making hollow announcements year after year.
Opposition Leader Charan Das Mahant also criticized the budget, saying the government had woven a web of heavy words but failed to provide a concrete roadmap for progress. He alleged that new schemes were introduced only to facilitate corruption and claimed that the budget provided little relief to the unemployed youth. Mahant also said that employees who were on strike over their demands were ignored in the financial proposals.
