India, March 30 -- The Centre has earmarked Rs 25,000 crore under the 'Pride of Hills' component of the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) 2026-27, with Arunachal Pradesh receiving the highest allocation of Rs 4,900 crore, Mizoram receiving the lowest allocation of Rs 100 crore, and Manipur receiving Rs 2,400 crore among the nine hill states in India.

The scheme aims to address the unique financial and developmental challenges faced by hill states due to difficult terrain, inaccessibility, low population density, and limited revenue-generating capacity. Officials said these factors have resulted in weaker fiscal indicators, including high debt-to-GSDP ratios and lower own-tax revenue.

Reacting to the development...