Assam CM Sarma Disburses Rs 131 Crore to Entrepreneurs Under Atmanirbhar Scheme

The Chief Minister disbursed more than Rs 131 crore to 12,976 successful entrepreneurs as part of the second tranche of the scheme.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister described the occasion as a decisive moment for the Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan 1.0 initiative. He noted that there is often a perception that financial assistance provided by the government is not always utilised effectively.

However, he said many beneficiaries who received the first tranche under the scheme have used the funds productively and progressed in their respective fields. Several of them have also become eligible for loans from banks and schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana.

The Chief Minister said that nearly seven lakh young people enter the 18-plus age group in Assam every year, which means around 35 lakh youth join the workforce over five years. Society, he said, must collectively address the challenge of providing employment opportunities for this growing population.

He added that if governments fail to create employment opportunities beyond government jobs, unemployment could lead to frustration among the youth. He stated that the state government has already provided government jobs to about 1.6 lakh youths while simultaneously exploring multiple alternative avenues of employment for others.

Highlighting global demographic trends, the Chief Minister said several countries, such as Japan and the United States, are gradually turning into ageing societies, whereas India remains a young nation with a median age of around 27-28 years. In Assam, the median age is even lower at about 22 years, indicating a large and energetic workforce.

He said the state government has been working to build a skilled youth population through institutions such as Skill University and other training initiatives so that industries are encouraged to recruit young people from Assam in the future.

The Chief Minister further stated that the size of Assam's economy has grown from about Rs. 3.5 lakh crore to Rs. 8.5 lakh crore over the past five years, creating new opportunities for employment in industry, services and agriculture.

He also highlighted major upcoming projects, including the semiconductor facility at Jagiroad, a thermal power project at Dhubri and a fertiliser plant at Namrup, as initiatives that will further generate employment opportunities in the state.

Speaking about the Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan, Sarma said the scheme provides financial assistance ranging from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh to aspiring entrepreneurs without requiring any collateral.

He added that such collateral-free capital support is rare in other schemes across the country and reflects the government's confidence in the youth of Assam.

The Chief Minister informed that while the first tranche of assistance had been provided to 25,277 young entrepreneurs under Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan 1.0, only 12,976 beneficiaries were found eligible for the second tranche. The remaining entrepreneurs will receive the second tranche by August if they submit proper utilisation details of the first tranche to the Industries Department within the next 90 days.

He also announced that entrepreneurs who utilise the government assistance properly and subsequently take bank loans will receive partial interest support from the state government.

The Chief Minister further said that discussions are underway to expand the initiative to benefit nearly 10 lakh youths in the future.

It may be noted that the Assam government launched the Chief Minister's Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan 1.0 on December 23, 2023. Under Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan 2.0, first-tranche cheques have already been distributed to 74,735 young entrepreneurs through regional programmes held at 12 locations across the state between February 7 and February 25.

Industries, Commerce and Public Enterprises Minister Bimal Borah, MLAs Atul Bora, Ramendra Narayan Kalita, Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Diganta Kalita and Hemanga Thakuria, along with Guwahati Mayor Mrigen Sarania, Additional Chief Secretary J B Ekka and several senior officials and dignitaries, were present at the programme.

- ANI