The Scheme for Economic Empowerment of Women through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), which will benefit about 3.5 lakh women across the state, was announced by the Leader of the House, Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh, while presenting the budget estimates for the financial year 2026-27 in the Manipur Legislative Assembly on Monday.
Presenting the budget during the ongoing 7th session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, the chief minister stated that the scheme aims to strengthen women-led self-help groups (SHGs) and enhance financial independence among women across the state. Under the scheme, financial assistance will be provided to women beneficiaries over a period of three years, and Rs. 10,000 will be provided to each woman beneficiary in the first year through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). An amount of Rs. 350 crore has been earmarked for the scheme in the budget, he added.
Earlier in the House, the secretary of the Manipur Legislative Assembly intimated to the House the president’s assent to the bill. The chief minister then presented the Tenth Report of the Business Advisory Committee, 2026, and moved a motion seeking the approval of the House regarding the allocation of time proposed by the committee.
The chief minister also presented the supplementary demands for grants for the financial year 2025-26 before the House.
Highlighting the key aspects of the budget, Khemchand stated that with the improvement in the law and order situation in the state, considerable progress has been achieved in various sectors. He expressed gratitude to the people of Manipur for maintaining peace and appreciated the continued support of the Government of India in restoring normalcy in the state.
He further informed the House that the State’s own revenue collection is witnessing steady growth, increasing from Rs. 2,087 crore in 2024-25 to Rs. 2,887 crore in 2026-27, reflecting a growth of more than 38 percent within two years.
The Chief Minister also stated that during the current year, the Government of India extended a special package amounting to Rs. 2,198 crore to assist the State in pre-payment of high interest-bearing loans, meeting security-related expenditures, charges for Central Paramilitary Force deployment, and supporting the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The Chief Minister noted that the assistance from the center has not only strengthened the rehabilitation efforts of the state government but has also ensured that development spending is not constrained by increasing revenue expenditure. He added that the central government has assured continued support to Manipur in the financial year 2026-27 as the state continues on the path of peace and economic recovery.
He further stated that the government remains committed to enhancing revenue generation and rationalizing expenditure while ensuring that capital expenditure for development is not adversely affected. As part of the Union Government’s initiative to strengthen public financial management, the state has also introduced the SNA-SPARSH mode of fund release mechanism for Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) to ensure efficient and timely utilization of funds.
Highlighting the government’s priority areas, the chief minister stated that the primary concern of the government is to expedite the rehabilitation and resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). He informed that the Government of India has extended considerable support towards construction of permanent houses, compensation for loss of personal belongings and movable assets, and assistance for renovation and repair of partially damaged houses of the displaced persons. He added that an amount of Rs. 734 crore has been provided in the budget for the rehabilitation and resettlement of IDPs during the financial year 2026-27.
The chief minister also emphasized that strengthening connectivity remains a key priority of the government. Apart from expansion and upgradation of roads, adequate funding has been
