Puducherry presents Rs 14,300 crore tax-free budget for 2026-27

Key facts

• The Puducherry government presented a tax-free budget of ₹14,300 crore for the fiscal year 2026-27.
• Own revenue receipts are estimated at ₹7,890 crore, while central assistance including the State Disaster Relief Fund is ₹3,517 crore.
• Budget allocations include ₹2,693 crore for salaries (18.83%), ₹1,619 crore for pension (11.33%), ₹1,981 crore for loan repayment and interest (13.86%), and ₹2,327 crore for power purchase (16.28%).
• Welfare schemes such as free rice, farmer subsidy, old age pension, financial assistance to women heads of families, and LPG subsidy received ₹2,202 crore (15.4%).
• Grant-in-aid to society-run higher education institutions is ₹560 crore (3.92%) and to public sector undertakings and cooperative institutions is ₹1,082 crore (7.57%).
• The government will provide free tablets to Class 9 and 10 students in government and government-aided schools at an additional cost of ₹16.25 crore, benefiting 16,250 students.
• Monthly pension for freedom fighters was enhanced from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000, with an additional annual expenditure of ₹6.46 crore.
• Financial assistance for marriage of poor brides below poverty line was increased from ₹35,000 to ₹75,000; for daughters of destitute/widows from ₹40,000 to ₹1 lakh; for widows' remarriage from ₹75,000 to ₹1 lakh; and for poor Adi Dravidar and scheduled tribes from ₹1 lakh to ₹1.25 lakh, with additional expenditure of ₹4.9 crore.