Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with Finance Minister
Ajanta Neog during a press conference regarding the state Budget, in Guwahati,
Assam, Monday, March 10, 2025. (PTI Photo)
GUWAHATI — The Assam government on Monday presented a Rs 2.63 lakh crore
budget for the 2025-26 fiscal, offering sops to jobless graduates and tea
garden workers while suggesting to exempt professional tax on a section of the
salaried class in the state where assembly polls are due next year.
With a deficit of Rs 620.27 crore, this is the last full
Budget of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led second BJP government.
Finance Minister Ajanta Neog tabled a Rs 2.63 lakh crore
Budget for the next financial year that proposed no new tax for the general
public but gave additional relief to nearly 1.5 lakh salaried people.
Neog announced extending tax holiday for green tea leaves
for two more years to alleviate the challenges faced by the industry, while
offering a one-time cash benefit of Rs 5,000 to 6.8 lakh garden workers.
Assembly elections in Assam are likely to take place during
March-April next year.
Neog announced a flagship scheme 'Chief Minister's Jibon
Prerana' to financially support the graduates for one year during their job
search period.
"This initiative is not an unemployment allowance, but
motivational support (Prerana) to help them prepare for competitive exams,
interviews and entrepreneurial pursuits. I am glad to announce Rs 2,500 per
month to the graduates passing out in 2025 from government
universities/colleges of Assam," she added.
Under the same scheme, the government seeks to provide a
one-time Rs 25,000 grant to the research scholars of state and central
government universities. This assistance will be Rs 50,000 for 'divyang' (people
with disabilities) research scholars, Neog said.
The government will launch the scheme in October 2025,
around six months before the state goes to polls, and allocated Rs 25 crore for
its implementation.
Emphasising that no additional tax is imposed on the public,
Neog said the budget proposes exemption on professional tax for individuals
earning up to Rs 15,000 per month.
"This will benefit more than 1.43 lakh
taxpayers/families and boost their purchasing capacity," she said.
Neog also proposed to slash the electricity rate by Re 1 per
unit for Jeevan Dhara and domestic consumers up to 120 units in a month, giving
relief to 48 lakh consumers out of the total 68 lakh.
"We shall provide Rs 300 crore targeted subsidy this
year. If the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) continues to show
the positive trend of revenue, I shall consider further reduction in
tariff," she added.
The finance minister said that the state government is aware
of the challenges faced by the tea industry.
"I also announce extension of tax holiday on green tea
leaves under the Assam Taxation (on Specified Lands) Act, 1990, for another two
years with effect from January 1, 2025," she added.
Neog announced a one-time financial assistance of Rs 5,000
to each of 6.8 lakh existing tea garden workers, including both casual and
permanent workers, to mark the 200 years of Assam Tea, she said while allocating
Rs 342 crore for it.
To strengthen forest governance, Rs 9,000 monthly
remuneration will be paid to 946 Gaon Pradhans in forest villages, she said.
Besides, Rs 1,500 per month will be given to 'Udasin
Bhakats' (a category of Vaishnavite monks) living in Satras (Vaishnavite monastery)
to foster cultural pride and heritage conservation, she added.
"The government is cognisant of struggle faced by
traders engaged in bell metal industry. I announce reimbursement of SGST for
this sector," she said.
The minister projected an aggregate receipt of Rs
2,62,913.92 crore in 2025-26 against a proposed total expenditure of Rs
2,60,959.24 crore, resulting in an estimated surplus of Rs 1,954.68 crore.
"This, together with the opening deficit of Rs 2,574.95
crore, will lead to a budget deficit of Rs 620.27 crore at the end of the
financial year 2025-26," she added.
Though Neog mentioned Rs 6.44 lakh crore as the Gross
Domestic Product (GSDP) for 2024-25 fiscal registering 13 per cent growth, she
did not make any projection of the same for the next fiscal.
"Our government's comprehensive efforts have enabled
about 46.87 lakh people to escape multidimensional poverty in Assam, as per the
latest report by the Niti Aayog," she added.
The Budget mentioned that the state's unemployment rate
decreased from 9.9 per cent to 7.9 per cent over the same period.
On the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan (MMUA) that
was announced last year but yet to roll out, Neog said it will cover around 30
lakh Self Help Group members in rural areas and almost 2 lakh members in urban
areas by providing entrepreneurship fund of Rs 10,000 as seed capital.
"Upon the successful utilization of this fund, a loan
of Rs 25,000 shall be facilitated through bank linkage. I propose to provide a
subsidy against such loan amount. I am glad to announce the launch of this
scheme on 1st April 2025. Our government will spend Rs 3,038 crore for
MMUA," she added.
Neog said that the third edition of poverty alleviation
scheme 'Orunodoi' will cover 37.2 lakh beneficiaries in 2025-26 with a
budgetary outlay of Rs 5,000 crore.
The Budget mentioned that the government shall start the
survey of the Char areas (riverine vegetative islands), where predominantly
Bengali-speaking Muslims live, across the state during 2025-26.
