GUWAHATI: The government of Assam announced a major police crackdown on crime and increased social welfare schemes in its 2025-26 budget.
Outlining the budget on Monday, Finance Minister Ajanta Neog pointed to the state's progress in curbing drug and human trafficking while tabling proposals on women's education and insurgent rehabilitation.
The government of Assam has made impressive strides in curbing crime, with almost 700 human traffickers being apprehended and 174 kg of heroin seized during 2024 alone. Assam Police have registered more than 450 cases of human trafficking, effectively rescuing close to 900 victims from the clutches of traffickers.
"In 2024, the Assam Police seized 174 kg of heroin and over 21,000 kg of ganja, dealing a major blow to organized crime networks," said Neog. She also noted that women’s safety in Assam has improved, with the state’s ranking in crimes against women improving from 7th position in 2021 to 14th in 2023, as per the Crime in India report.
The state government's star scheme 'Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Moina' has proved successful in curtailing school dropout and curbing child marriage. Under the scheme, a financial support of Rs1,000, Rs1,250, and Rs2,500 is provided monthly to girl students of Class 11, first-year undergradians, and first-year postgraduates and BEd, respectively.
In the last fiscal year, 1.8 lakh girls benefitted under the scheme. In the current year, the government plans to expand it to 4.3 lakh girls with a provision of continued assistance for those progressing further to higher classes. The scheme will now extend to girls undergoing self-financing courses in state-run institutions too.
For timely disbursement of benefits, the government has sanctioned Rs 391 crore for the 2025-26 financial year, with the money being credited directly to students via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
The Assam government is also concerned with upholding peace and rehabilitating ex-insurgents. Over the past few years, the state has entered into peace agreements with various insurgent groups, including:
• NDFB factions, Karbi factions, Adivasi factions, DNLA, and ULFA
• Smaller factions such as RNLF, TLA, UGPO, NLFB, BRAU, UDLF, NSLA, ADG, and KNLF
In the past five years, 10,819 militants have surrendered, depositing 1,540 weapons, 29,392 rounds of ammunition, and 36 grenades. To facilitate their rehabilitation and socio-economic integration, the government has provided Rs 98 crore in this year's budget.
The Assam government is also making efforts to help families hit by ethnic clashes in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). While relief was extended to more than six lakh people, 4,000 families are still without adequate assistance.
"To provide justice and dignity to all the victims, I am suggesting an additional Rs 30 crore in this budget," Neog stated. Under the BTR Accord, over 6,600 former NDFB cadres have been rehabilitated, and over 270 cases against them have been withdrawn.
Police modernization and the development of infrastructure are being given top priority by the state government. More than 100 new police stations have been constructed, and 162 more are being worked on. Assam Police will also give priority to four Model Police Reserves in Dhemaji, Dhubri, Karimganj, and Tinsukia for modernization.
Prison infrastructure will be improved through the allotment of land to build new jails in Lakhimpur, Tezpur, Mangaldoi, Goalpara, Dhubri, and Silchar.
For these initiatives, the government has also provided ₹8,291 crore to the Home Department for 2025-26.
ALSO READ:
ALSO WATCH: