Itanagar: In a major boost for infrastructure and fiscal stability in India’s Himalayan region, the Centre has introduced a new component called ‘Pride of Hills’ under the Special Assistance for Capital Investment (SASCI) framework, allocating a total of Rs 25,000 crore for nine hill states in the financial year 2026-27.
Arunachal Pradesh has emerged as the biggest beneficiary with the highest allocation of Rs 4,900 crore, reflecting the Centre’s recognition of the unique developmental challenges faced by the state due to its difficult terrain, limited connectivity, low population density, and constrained revenue generation capacity.
The initiative aims to ease financial stress in hill states, boost capital expenditure, and support committed liabilities. The additional funds, provided over and above existing SASCI provisions, are expected to accelerate infrastructure creation and help build long-term revenue-generating assets for sustainable economic growth.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the special package. “My heartfelt gratitude to our visionary Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman Ji for allocating Rs 25,000 Cr under a new SASCI component ‘Pride of Hills’ for 9 Himalayan States,” he said.
CM Khandu added that the Rs 4,900 crore allocation for Arunachal Pradesh will significantly help improve the state’s fiscal stability and enable greater investment in creating revenue-generating assets.
State-wise Allocation under ‘Pride of Hills’ (2026-27):
- Arunachal Pradesh: Rs 4,900 crore
- Himachal Pradesh: Rs 3,920 crore
- Nagaland: Rs 3,880 crore
- Uttarakhand: Rs 3,460 crore
- Tripura: Rs 3,450 crore
- Manipur: Rs 2,400 crore
- Meghalaya: Rs 2,070 crore
- Sikkim: Rs 820 crore
- Mizoram: Rs 100 crore
Officials noted that hill states have historically faced higher dependence on central transfers due to structural challenges. The ‘Pride of Hills’ initiative is designed to address these issues and promote balanced regional development in the Northeast and other Himalayan regions.
This substantial financial support is expected to strengthen infrastructure projects, improve connectivity, and drive overall socio-economic progress in Arunachal Pradesh and other beneficiary states.
Tags: Pride of Hills Initiative, SASCI Arunachal, Pema Khandu, Rs 4900 Crore Arunachal, Himalayan States Funding, Centre Hill States Package, Arunachal Fiscal Stability, Northeast Development, Capital Investment 2026-27, Infrastructure Boost Arunachal
Hashtags: #PrideOfHills #ArunachalPradesh #PemaKhandu #SASCI #HimalayanStates #NortheastDevelopment #CentreFunding #ArunachalInfrastructure #ModiGovernment #NortheastIndia
