Imphal: Former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Sunday said the reforms announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 would open up new opportunities for startups, IT-enabled services and skilled youth in the Northeast, while the state Congress accused the Centre of remaining silent on Manipur’s prolonged humanitarian and security crisis.

Reacting to the Budget presented earlier in the day, Singh said it had delivered a significant push to India’s information technology sector under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

In a post on X, the former chief minister said the “progressive reforms” outlined in the Budget would generate fresh avenues for innovation-led growth, particularly benefiting startups, IT-enabled services and the region’s skilled workforce. “This Budget reinforces India’s journey towards an innovation-driven digital economy,” he said.

Singh also welcomed the Budget’s focus on diversifying agricultural output through high-value farming, stating that the measures would help strengthen farmer incomes and improve rural livelihoods.

The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee, however, struck a sharply critical note. Party president Keisham Meghachandra alleged that the Budget had failed to address the state’s continuing crisis.

“Budget 2026 is out, but for Manipur the silence from Delhi is deafening,” Meghachandra said in a post on X, referring to years of violence, displacement and instability in the state. He claimed that thousands of families remain unable to return home and that the Centre had offered little in terms of concrete relief.

Meghachandra also pointed out that the Budget did not include a proposed ‘Peace and Reconciliation Fund’ for Manipur and questioned the relevance of infrastructure announcements in the absence of security. “Announcing Rs 12,000 crore for roads means nothing when citizens are too afraid to travel on them. Concrete cannot replace security. Highways cannot substitute healing,” he said, adding that the state needed justice, priority attention and a clear roadmap to peace.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday presented the Union Budget for the 2026-27 fiscal, announcing a series of measures aimed at accelerating infrastructure development nationwide, including in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, even as political reactions to its regional impact continue to pour in.

Promotional | North East Integration Rally