CHENNAI: With the Union Budget for 2026 set to be presented in Parliament, Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Sunday urged the Centre to move beyond rhetoric and ensure tangible financial commitments for the State, particularly in sectors where allocations have either been delayed or remain inadequate.

In a social media post, ahead of the Budget, Stalin said Tamil Nadu expected the Union government to announce long-pending measures even if only with the elections in mind, and stressed that these should be backed by firm funding and implemented within a defined timeframe.

He flagged the non-release of Rs 3,548 crore in education funds meant for students, sought budgetary support for the Coimbatore and Madurai Metro Rail projects, and demanded the release of Rs 3,112 crore due to Tamil Nadu under the Jal Jeevan Mission, a programme the State has implemented efficiently.

The Chief Minister also called for new railway projects and reiterated the long-standing demand that States receive a 50 per cent share of the Union government’s tax revenues, as recommended by the Finance Commission.

“There are more demands on the list. At the very least this time, announcements for Tamil Nadu should not stop at mere declarations, like the Madurai AIIMS,” Stalin said, insisting that projects must be supported by adequate allocations and completed on schedule.

The appeal was tagged to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.