Minister Jacob Zhimomi says Union Budget prioritises welfare, economic self-reliance.
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DIMAPUR — Minister of PHED and Cooperation, Jacob Zhimomi, along with BJP party officials, held a press briefing on the Union Budget 2026–27 at the BJP office in Dimapur on Friday, highlighting its impact on the economy with special reference to the Northeast and Nagaland.
The minister said several transformative changes have been introduced without altering the Constitution's structure, adding that the Union Budget prioritises people's welfare across all states.
According to Zhimomi, the budget is guided by the principles of action over ambivalence, reform over rhetoric and people over populism, with Atmanirbhar Bharat—launched by the Prime Minister to make India economically self-reliant—as its central theme.
He said that while India attained Swaraj in 1947, true freedom requires economic self-reliance, as political freedom alone is incomplete without economic freedom.
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He added that although the Swadeshi movement was initiated at the birth of the nation, it was not fully implemented, and drawing from these experiences, the present government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, also known as ‘Vocal for Local.’
This approach, he said, will play a key role in shaping the nation’s economic policies and influence India’s socio-political and foreign relations, noting that the budget revolves around the vision of a self-reliant India.
The minister also remarked that the budget provides major support to MSMEs, local economies, Khadi and village industries, urban local bodies, and grassroots governance.
Additionally, the growing role of women in the government is going to play a very pivotal role in shaping the design of the country as far as economic imperatives are concerned, he said.
He added that the focus on structural reforms aims to strengthen families, villages, and towns through micro-level economic planning and local GDP growth.
Highlighting “Sahakar Se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation), Zhimomi said the budget promotes shared prosperity, with cooperative societies across all states to be recognised and treated as startups.
In the context of Nagaland, land is going to be their biggest asset and it is going to be capital and that is going to be a startup for states like Nagaland, he said.
He added that the budget focuses on fiscal prudence and sustained public investment, noting that states can recommend amendments through bodies like the Finance Commission and NITI Aayog.
Stating that the budget seeks to build trust in domestically produced goods and services, he described it as a youth-driven budget that leverages India’s vast human resource.
He went on to state that the Union Budget prioritises road infrastructure and healthcare, including exemptions on costly life-saving medicines, while emphasising innovation, space technology, and national security in line with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision to make India a leading global economy.
Zhimomi further said that the Prime Minister envisions the Northeast as the country’s organic hub, with a major boost to tourism and related facilities.
The state-specific needs, including tourism, veterinary and animal husbandry sectors, have been addressed as recommended by the NITI Aayog, he said and expressed hope that Nagaland would make the best use of the budget and contribute to nation-building.