Congress slams Centre for poor coordination ahead of Union Budget 2026

Jairam Ramesh said state governments would be anxious about what awaits them since the Finance Minister will be announcing the implementation of the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission.

New Delhi: Congress on Saturday said the new and updated GDP and Consumer Price Index series will be unveiled days after the Budget and asked whether the Budget numbers undergo revisions. It also said it reflects poorly on coordination in policy making of the Modi government.

With Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set to present her ninth consecutive Budget on Sunday, General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said state governments would be anxious about what awaits them since the implementation of the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission would be announced.

The Finance Commission is a body set up under Article 280 of the Constitution every five years (or earlier)  to recommend the share of the states in the tax revenues collected by the Centre, the distribution of this share among the states, and special grants for a five-year period. The 16th Finance Commission deals with the period 2026/27-2030/31, he said.

"But there are two other concerns. First, many of the Budget’s numbers will be expressed as a % of GDP. However, just twenty-six days later on Feb 27,  2026 the new and updated GDP series with 2022/23 as the base is scheduled to be released. Would the Budget numbers then undergo revisions very soon after they are unveiled on Feb 1, 2026?" he posted on 'X'.

"Second, the new Consumer Price Index (CPI) series with 2024 as base is expected to be released on Feb 12, 2026. It is being anticipated that the new series will see a sharp reduction in the share of food prices. If this were to be the case, there will be an impact on the Budget numbers. The Wholesale Price Index too is undergoing revision and presumably that will be made public in the next few months. Either way, it reflects poorly on coordination in policy making," it added.