Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the Budget for 2024-2025 provides a realistic roadmap for sustainable growth which will help Assam emerge among the top five States in the country.
“This budget provides a realistic roadmap for sustainable growth, with creation of employment opportunities. Our economic growth is consistently exceeding the national GDP growth rate. Our per capita income has more than doubled since people voted for the Double Engine Government in the year 2016,” said the Chief Minister.
Dr Sarma said that Assam has taken capital expenditure to a historical high which in the next fiscal year likely to cross
₹20,000 cr, compared to ₹16,000 cr in 2022-23. Claiming synergy between departments of the State in implementing development schemes, the Chief Minister attributed it to the growth trajectory in Assam.
The Chief Minister expected the State to become a ₹10 lakh cr economy in the near future from the current figure of ₹6.43 lakh cr going by the capital investment proposed in this Budget.
Dr Sarma said that “The Assam Budget 2024-2025” has drawn inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s grand vision of transforming India into a Viksit Bharat during Amrit Kaal. “For the first time, Assam has made it clear that it will not be a dependent State. When India becomes a five-trillion-dollar economy, Assam cannot be a dependent State. We must be a contributory State.”
He said that his Government’s goals are reflected in the Budget. “This Budget has many new concepts. Nobody talked about ‘heritage belts and blocks’. Assam witnessed many agitations, but nobody gave solutions. Through this Budget, we have solutions. It was Gopinath Bordoloi who introduced the concept of tribal belts and blocks in the State. After 75 years, we are planning for the creation of heritage belts and blocks,” said Dr Sarma, himself a former Finance Minister of the State.
On the announcement about Vaishnavite monasteries, the Chief Minister said, “We will make the birth places of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev and Sri Sri Madhavdev, Barpeta Satra, and Majuli heritage belts and blocks where no one other than indigenous people can purchase land. This decision will safeguard the security, Satras, and sacred places of Assam for years to come.”
Mentioning budgetary provisions for protecting cultural identity of the State, Dr Sarma said, “Celebrating our rich cultural heritage has been an underlying theme in the Budget. The construction of the Maa Kamakhya corridor, preserving land in and around our Satras, taking pilgrimage to Ram Mandir, Ayodhya, incentivising Bhaona and Raas Lila find prominence in our quest for cultural identity.”
Dr. Sarma said the State Government has been continuously supporting women empowerment through expanding coverage of the Orunodoi scheme to up to 30 lakh, providing more relief to microcredit borrowers, and financial support to women entrepreneurs.
On increase in revenue collections, the Chief Minister attributed it to a conducive atmosphere in the State. “The collection of revenue from our own sources has increased by 30% this financial year compared to last year. This has been possible because of the no-agitation atmosphere in the State. GST collection has also registered a 14% increase. It is a good sign for the State. We have recruited 94,000 youths for State Government jobs. We have a proposal to recruit 35,000 more youths in this Budget,” said the Chief Minister.
Dr Sarma said that the Budget for FY 2024-25 laid special emphasis on the well-being of the tea garden community through greater investment in schools, 3% reservation in Government jobs and paying their arrear electricity dues.
The Chief Minister said that there will be a big push in the State’s infrastructural development in coming years. “With the launch of Asom Mala 2.0 and taking up many iconic projects, a big push to infrastructure has been given. This will have multiplier effects, helping common citizens of the State,” Dr Sarma said.
On the budgetary provision of ‘Green Growth for Greener Assam’, the Chief Minister said: “Green Growth is an essential pillar of Budget 2024. Under this, we will plant three crore saplings, introduce electric buses, and set up over 1000 MW of renewable energy and rooftop solar plants”.
