Prof. (Dr.) Dharmakanta Kumbhakar
(The writer can be reached at drkdharmakanta@yahoo.com)
While a full budget for the FY 2026-27 will be announced after the new government is formed following the State Assembly election, the State Finance Minister Ajanta Neog on February 17, 2026, presented a Rs 62,294.78 crore Vote on Account budget in the Assembly for the initial months of the 2026-27 fiscal year to enable the government to carry on with its normal services pending the full budget. Presenting her fifth consecutive budget – the last of the present government – she said that Assam has moved steadily in the direction of turning dreams into reality, darkness has given way to a developed Assam where every citizen is a companion in Assam’s journey of progress, Assam is currently the fastest-growing state according to RBI data, and every achievement of today will become the foundation for a more prosperous, secure and self-reliant Viksit Assam.
Presenting the interim budget ahead of the Assembly election, Mrs. Neog assured that the government’s ongoing major flagship schemes and assistance, giving direct cash benefits, will continue in the years to come. It was one of the best aspects of the interim budget that the finance minister focused more on the continuation and effective implementation of previously announced schemes and assistance. Both Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Moina Asoni and Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Babu Asoni will be expanded in the years to come. Neog claimed that through Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Maina Asoni, the government has committed about Rs 260 crore towards monthly assistance ranging from Rs 1000 to Rs 2500, supporting over 2.5 lakh girl students. The Nijut Moina scheme resulted in an 8.2% reduction in dropout among girl students between 2023-24 and 2024-25 and an increase in gross enrolment ratio for girls by 4.2% at the secondary level and 7.5% at the senior secondary level. Under Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Babu Asoni, monthly financial assistance of Rs 1000-Rs 2000 will be provided to 47,428 boys from economically weaker families enrolled in the first year of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Through the Chief Minister’s Jibon Prerona Scheme, the government will cover 48,319 fresh graduates with a monthly financial assistance of Rs 2500. Under Pragyan Bharti, admission fees worth Rs 780 crore were waived for economically weaker students, benefiting an average of 3.5 lakh UG and PG students each year.
On the social sector schemes, Mrs Neog stated that the coverage of the Orunodoi scheme has reached 40 lakh today, including Divyangjan, transgender persons, and other vulnerable groups, making it the largest social assistance programme in the history of Assam. Orunodoi families will continue with enhanced assistance and convergence with major schemes such as the National Food Security Act (NFSA), PMAY-Gramin, PMAY-Urban and insurance schemes like Prime Minister Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Prime Minister Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY). Under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan, 30.63 lakh eligible women have got benefits of Rs 10,000 as seed capital per Self Help Group (SHG) member. Securing the basic right to food, the government has covered 70.71 lakh families and provided free rice to over 2.49 crore citizens under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and PM Garib Kalyan Annya Yojana. Under the ongoing drive for inclusion of 5.04 lakh new beneficiaries, the government has already added more than 65 lakh beneficiaries and issued over 14.60 lakh new ration cards in just 5 years. This will definitely improve the nutritional and health status of the beneficiaries. In the education sector, the Finance Minister said that the government is transforming vishwavidyalayas into hubs of the future by equipping Assam’s students with cutting-edge skills in artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0. One hopes that the facilities will ensure students receive quality education, skill development, proper training and employability through improved higher learning access.
In the health sector, Neog said that Assam has doubled the medical colleges from seven to 14 in the last 5 years, and currently the government is investing Rs 5,500 crore to build 10 more medical colleges, which will add 4,500 beds to the healthcare system. This will definitely provide enhanced coverage of preventive, promotive, curative and quality healthcare services to the people of Assam.
In her budget speech, the Finance Minister said that the Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Asom Abhiyan (CMAAA) has emerged as a cornerstone of self-employment. Following its initial success, the government is expanding its reach to at least five lakh more youths, while simultaneously linking the government’s existing beneficiaries with schemes such as MUDRA, the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) and others to upscale their businesses. This will definitely help Assam’s youth for self-employment and upscale their business. She also said that a youth-driven logistics support framework and the twin-city development linking Guwahati, Jagiroad, and Palashbari into an urban-industrial corridor are being planned by the government, aiming at employment-led infrastructure growth. One hopes this will benefit the business communication.
Elaborating on the achievements of the government in her budget speech, she said since 2021, sustained peace efforts have led to a total of 9,022 former militants depositing 1,012 sophisticated weapons, and the government has rehabilitated these misguided youths under the surrender-cum-rehabilitation framework. Assam has made over 24,000 drug-related arrests and seized drugs worth more than Rs 3,001 crore in the last five years, she informed. This will definitely help in sustaining peace in the state.
She said that the government is finalising discussions with the tea association to announce a hike in daily wages for the workers within this year, while permanent land rights will be given to over 3.5 lakh workers of 800 tea estates, the distribution of which will be launched by the Prime Minister in March. This will definitely improve the living conditions of tea garden workers of the state.
Neog further said in her budget speech that under “Mission Basundhara” the government distributed land pattas to over three lakh landless beneficiaries, including 24,688 institutions, and settled approximately 4.15 lakh bighas of land in the last five years. This will definitely help for a prosperous state. The interim budget underscores the government’s commitment to building a developed, prosperous and peaceful Assam. One hopes a more public welfare general budget will be announced under the new government after the Assembly election likely to take place in March-April 2026.