Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma termed the 2026-27 budget of the state a revenue-and-tax-neutral one. He stated that the budget aimed to balance revenue earnings with revenue expenditure, as well as the growth of both revenue and capital expenditures, without imposing any new taxes.
Speaking to the media, the chief minister said, "The pledges we had made in the BJP's election manifesto got their reflections on the budget. We have made the proposals and announcement of projects in the budget after thorough planning. The key priorities of the budget are (i) irrigation, agriculture and allied sectors; (ii) infrastructure and connectivity; (iii) human development and women-centric welfare; (iv) energy security and green growth; (v) employment, entrepreneurship and investment; and (vi) land, heritage and identity."
The Chief Minister said, "We have not imposed any new tax but levied green cess on environmentally sensitive industries and activities like brick kilns, commercial extraction of groundwater, coke-based industries, stone crushers, etc. This levy is to check pollution by such industries."
On the welfare schemes, the chief minister said, "Such schemes, which came to a halt before the Assembly election, will resume in August this year. For these schemes, the government will bear an expenditure of Rs 6,000 crore in this financial year. From now on, the government will bar polygamous people and people with criminal antecedents from availing themselves of the benefits of any welfare schemes. If any government employee is found to be polygamous, it will cost him his job."
On the employment front, the chief minister said, "The task force committee, headed by the chief secretary, identified 1.15 lakh vacancies, comprising vacant posts and the creation of new posts in various departments. However, our target is to provide jobs to two lakh youths in the coming five years."
On connectivity, the chief minister said, "We have started the process to extend the Silchar-Barapani Greenfield Corridor up to Siliguri via Guwahati. We will also place importance on Dolo and Rupsi airports. We want to make Rupsi Airport a logistics hub, keeping an eye on Bhutan, Bangladesh and West Bengal. We have proposed satellite cities in Guwahati in line with Noida in Delhi, Gurugram in Uttar Pradesh and New Town in West Bengal. We need Rs 6,000 crore for the acquisition of land for these cities. The government has already acquired 7,200 bighas of land for this purpose."
On agriculture and irrigation, the Chief Minister said, "Leaving behind the age-old irrigation system, we are laying stress on the compressed-pipe irrigation system, as is the case in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, etc. We'll carry water with pipes from the rivers snaking through Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh, bordering Assam. It will cost around Rs 4,000 crore. This project is indeed a time-consuming one."
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