Kumbh Budget Explained: ₹22,425.39 Crore Plan, ₹34,732 Crore Total Outlay

If you have read older reports about the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh, you may have seen a budget of ₹25,055 crore. That figure is out of date. Two newer numbers now matter: a ₹22,425.39 crore development plan, and a ₹34,732 crore total outlay. Here is what each one means.

The ₹22,425.39 crore development plan

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis approved a development plan of ₹22,425.39 crore at the Apex Committee meeting on 13 March 2026. PIB published this on 27 July 2026, in a Lok Sabha reply by Union Tourism Minister Shekhawat.

The Apex Committee has 40 members and is chaired by the Chief Minister. The Nashik MP is one of its members, PIB said. This is the plan that runs through the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority (NTKMA).

The ₹34,732 crore total outlay

The bigger figure adds works done outside NTKMA. NTKMA Commissioner Shekhar Singh explained the split at a press conference, as reported by the Times of India on 21 August 2026:

• ₹22,425 crore approved through NTKMA
• about ₹3,545 crore in other state works
• about ₹8,762 crore from central agencies

Singh said about 85% of the total is for permanent infrastructure, which means works that stay after the mela ends.

A closer breakdown (reported)

Lokmat Times published a more detailed breakdown on 1 September 2026. These numbers are from that report, not from an official document:

• Total: ₹34,732.42 crore
• Central share: ₹8,761.54 crore, made up of NHAI ₹2,763.24 crore, NH-PWD ₹4,355.92 crore and Railways ₹1,329.24 crore
• Some state items: PWD ₹2,270.60 crore, Trimbak pilgrimage area ₹275 crore, Mahapareshan ₹946.81 crore, Zilla Parishad ₹35.08 crore
• By share: roads 51%, temporary works such as Sadhugram 15 to 17%, buildings 9%, bridges and flyovers 8%, parking and traffic 6%, power 3%, water and sewage 2%, ghats and riverfront 2%, police and fire 1%

The NTKMA pages on the Divisional Commissioner's website also list individual administrative approvals, for example ₹403.82 crore for NMC water supply, ₹930.23 crore for 21 NMC road works and ₹371.70 crore for CCTV and smart elements.

Where ₹25,055 crore came from

The ₹25,055 crore figure was a joint Centre and state plan announced in October 2025. Of that, ₹7,410 crore was sanctioned at the time, the Free Press Journal reported on 30 October 2025. It has since been replaced by the ₹22,425.39 crore state plan (March 2026) and the ₹34,732 crore total (August 2026).

How much money has been released

A Government Resolution (GR) of 10 September 2026 released ₹1,800 crore. This was the balance of a ₹3,000 crore supplementary demand from the Monsoon Session. Earlier releases in 2025-26 were ₹283 crore, ₹717 crore, ₹501.40 crore, ₹396.60 crore and ₹1,220 crore, according to the GR as reported by the Free Press Journal.

Navarashtra and Tendernama have reported that the total released so far is about ₹4,900 crore. This cumulative figure is from media reports.

No proposal to the Central Tourism Ministry

The Union Tourism Ministry has not received any proposal for funds so far. In its Lok Sabha reply, PIB quoted the ministry: "No proposal has been received from the Government of Maharashtra in the Ministry for the forthcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela at Nashik."

This is separate from the central agencies' share in the ₹34,732 crore total, which covers works by bodies such as NHAI and Railways.

What this means for pilgrims

• Most of the money goes to roads, bridges, buildings and other lasting works, not only to temporary mela arrangements.
• NTKMA has set March 2027 as the target for all major works, with the Amrit Snans from August 2027. See all Kumbh dates.
• For travel, stay and practical tips, see our pilgrim guide. For more updates, visit the news section.

We will update these figures when new official numbers are published.