Assam budget lays roadmap for 'Viksit Assam': Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati, July 10
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday described the 2026-27 state Budget as a roadmap for building a "Surakshit, Samriddh and Viksit Assam", asserting that the NDA government's 11th Budget focuses on welfare, employment, infrastructure and fiscal discipline without placing any additional burden on citizens.
Speaking to reporters after Finance Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah presented the Budget in the Assembly, Chief Minister Sarma said the Budget reflects the confidence reposed by the people of Assam in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government and is backed by careful planning and realistic implementation.
"Today, the NDA government in Assam presented its 11th Budget under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This Budget will give fresh momentum to Assam's reform journey and is our commitment to building a "Surakshit, Samriddh and Viksit Assam"," the Chief Minister added.
He said the Budget is largely revenue-neutral and has been prepared while maintaining fiscal discipline.
He said the state government has focused on strengthening welfare while simultaneously making substantial investments in infrastructure, healthcare, education, green energy, industries and employment generation.
Highlighting the state government's performance over the past decade, Chief Minister Sarma added that Assam's Budget size, per capita income and own tax revenue have increased by around 300 per cent since 2015-16, while capital expenditure has grown by nearly 900 per cent.
He said that Budget utilisation has also improved significantly from 58 per cent to 85 per cent during the period.
The Chief Minister added that the Budget introduces several first-of-its-kind initiatives, including an allocation of Rs 6,000 crore exclusively for welfare schemes, the creation of a comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem under the proposed A-SEMI initiative, a proposal to seek UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status for Bihu, and a policy barring people practising polygamy from availing government benefits.
Among other key announcements, Chief Minister Sarma said that Assam would become the first state to take doctors to the sub-centre level, introduce paternity leave for state government employees, establish an Aerotropolis to drive planned urban growth, and undertake major investments in power, connectivity, education and industrial infrastructure.
The Chief Minister added that the Budget contains 18 flagship initiatives and 29 focus areas, including plans to generate two lakh employment opportunities, develop satellite townships, promote Assamese cuisine nationally, strengthen the semiconductor sector and establish proton beam therapy facilities for advanced cancer care.
He congratulated Finance Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah and his team for presenting what he termed a "forward-looking Budget" that balances economic growth with fiscal prudence, adding that the state government would adopt a "whole-of-government" approach to ensure full implementation of all Budget announcements.
— IANS
Reader Comments
"Viksit Assam" sounds promising, but I worry about the debt situation. 300% increase in budget size is huge - where is the money coming from? The A-SEMI initiative for semiconductors sounds ambitious for a state like Assam. Still, good to see them thinking beyond the usual schemes.
Interesting to see Assam pushing for UNESCO status for Bihu and semiconductor ecosystem. That's a unique combination! The paternity leave policy is progressive too. But I'm skeptical about "revenue-neutral" budgets - usually means they're kicking the can down the road. Need to see the actual fiscal numbers.
The budget utilization improvement from 58% to 85% is actually impressive. But Rs 6,000 crore for welfare schemes sounds big - I hope the benefits reach the real needy, not just middlemen! The sub-centre level doctors idea is great for rural healthcare. Let's not forget that Assam has unique challenges with floods and insurgency.
Himanta ji is doing good work but I wish the budget had more focus on education. Our schools in rural Assam still lack basic facilities. Also, the polygamy policy - good intention but will it be applied uniformly? The proton beam therapy facility for cancer is commendable though. One step at a time, I guess.
The aerotropolis concept for Guwahati could really transform the city's urban planning. 18 flagship initiatives sound impressive but also overwhelming. Hope they prioritize properly. The semiconductor push is ambitious - Kerala and Karnataka are also trying similar things. Competition is good though! Assam needs to capitalize on its strategic location near
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