What happened
In its 2026-27 budget, Chhattisgarh's BJP government allocated ₹8,200 crore to the Mahtari Vandan Yojana — ₹1,000 a month to 70 lakh married women — and ₹10,000 crore in direct farmer support. According to a PRS India budget analysis, the state's actual capital expenditure in 2025-26 came in 82% below the water supply budget and 36% below the roads budget. The CAG's June 2026 State Finances report named Chhattisgarh among the states that slipped into revenue deficit despite earlier projections of surplus — a state that had an ₹8,592 crore revenue surplus in FY23 is now running in the red. The BJP ran in 2023 against revdi culture, the Indian term for electoral freebies that distort state finances. Since forming government, Chhattisgarh has earmarked over ₹700 crore per month in cash transfers while its capital project spending has been serially underspent. The pipes are still on their way.