The Budget for a year while giving the proposed revenue and expenditure figures for the year also sends a message to the public on its intentions. The State Budget for Assam 2023-24 rightly puts emphasis on a combination of new thrusts on the social sectors and infrastructure while ensuring equitable development by putting up institutions in far off places. This is quite evident when one goes through the Budget speech of the Finance Minister, Ms Ajanta Neog, wherein she says “development is really about eliminating poverty, unemployment and creating an equitable society.”
In terms of per capita income, Assam needs to be growing very fast to be at the top bracket. With Gross State Domestic Product showing good growth in the last few years, we should be able to reach that spot. While that can be in one’s mind, we need to focus more on education, health, and welfare of the weaker section of the society which this Budget has reiterated. With an allocation of nearly ₹ 20,000 cr in the education sector and a slew of schemes in the health sector while strengthening direct benefit transfers, the war on poverty and inequality seems to be on. Expenditure on infrastructure, MSMEs and other income generating/self employment schemes will create opportunities for employment.
Attention given on roads and bridges must be lauded. When these roads are properly laid out, poverty and unemployment will go down drastically. It is usually true that one doesn’t come across poor people by the side of good roads because of the ample opportunity to earn income which they provide. Distance and travel time can come down quickly which this Government has realised. Congestion in Guwahati will go down when the two bridges across the Brahmaputra come up. Strategic infrastructure like these can have a multiplier effect within a short time.
For creating thousands of entrepreneurs, this Budget has made provisions for the youth and the women. While the Centre has taken up a step to empower the SHGs, Assam has moved one step ahead to free many women from the burden of default of microfinance loans. The Government is promising at the same time to give assistance to the SHG members to set up businesses. One hopes that many of these units are in the marketing and service sector to help the producers. In Assam, as in many States, it is marketing which is a bane, not production.
Skilling of the youth with the help of Singapore-based ITEES has already made huge strides. With the Skill University in Mangaldoi coming up, there will be a good build-up of skilled resources in the State. The setting up of engineering and medical colleges in smaller towns is a welcome step – as good as the holding of the Cabinet committee meetings in smaller towns. While we want the Centre to look at the region for mainstreaming, the Assam Government has shown the way to do it.
For the sports and cultural sectors, one can see initiatives including promoting folk song competition in the villages. However, one must say that music has yet not got the status it deserves. The North East of India has a special talent and Governments must realise this and make provisions for enabling loans from banks. Introduction and encouragement of digitalization and the new Right to Public Services Act will make the State more people-friendly. Yes, remote areas need connectivity and instruments like smart phones for the people to take advantage of the Internet. Digital divide will become bigger otherwise.
The Budget rightly focuses on climate change. Assam is in a vulnerable spot. This means the rural economy will be in a jeopardy unless steps are taken. Green energy, green growth, and circular economy are terms which must be in the vocabulary of everybody in Assam. Assam needs to be in the forefront in fighting climate change as well as providing basic minimum services to the poor.
Orunodoy has made a lot of impact and it deserves more coverage and consolidation with other DBT schemes. The oft-heard complaint that these beneficiaries have become lazy, because of this, needs to be researched. In this case, the Mexican experiment of conditional grant makes a lot of sense. In this country, there are certain conditions which the grantees must fulfil to get grants next year.
Health for all is another very good step. Along with medical facilities, we must ensure that we have a healthy population and out-of-pocket expenses are minimal. Fighting the case of MMR and IMR indirectly through preventing child marriages will have beneficial impact.
Two hundred years of tea and yet the tea community is the weakest community in Assam. The Budget has recognized this and made provisions to help the sector comprehensively.
Lastly, while peace seems to have returned to Assam, strengthening of the police force, continuous dialogue with youth leaders, and preventing man-animal conflicts will ensure that people living in any corner of the State can sleep peacefully.
The Budget is one of hope and the commitment to spend an amount of ₹ 139,000 cr during the year makes that hope realistic.
(The author is the executive director of Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Nidhi)
