The Haryana government’s Voice Feedback Portal has received over 11,000 suggestions from citizens across the State for the budget slated to be presented later this month.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had launched the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based initiative on January 6 to invite suggestions from citizens with the objective of making the State budget for 2026-27 a “People’s Budget”. It marks the first ever use of AI in such a manner within India’s administrative and democratic framework, according to the State government.
“Suggestions concerning local self-governance or municipalities and panchayats topped the list at 750, followed by 450 on infrastructure development, and 200 on education, skill development, and employment,” Raj Nehru, Director General of the Swarna Jayanti Haryana Institute for Fiscal Management, told The Hindu.
He said 20% of respondents were women and other suggestions were related to fiscal resilience, innovation, public finance, ease of doing business, energy, cost rationalisation, digital security, future-ready governance, labour, women, child safety, start-ups, industrial growth, and economic drivers.
As part of the consultation process, the Chief Minister also conducted 12 pre-budget meetings in January, including with sarpanches and councillors for the first time. The process concluded on January 27 after a meeting with MLAs and MPs. Suggestions were also invited through the National Informatics Centre’s portal.
