Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Giving an account of the past five years of the Assam government amid protests from the opposition members in the Assembly, Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya said that the government had worked with a clear focus on strengthening foundations and enabling future readiness. “Assam is not only to grow but also to contribute meaningfully to India’s larger development aspirations,” he said.
Today, the Governor addressed the House on the first day of the Budget Session (Vote on Account) of the 15th Assam Legislative Assembly. After a few minutes, MLAs of Congress, AIUDF, CPI (M), and other parties raised their protests on different issues, including the issue of justice for Zubeen Garg. The opposition members rushed to the well, where the security personnel prevented them from going ahead. The opposition members then began loudly shouting slogans while holding placards. A few of the opposition members threw the copies of the governor’s speech to the speaker’s table.
The Speaker asked the opposition members to follow rules and stop shouting slogans and displaying placards. He urged them to go to their respective seats. Defying the Speaker’s request, the opposition members continued to shout slogans for about 50 minutes.
Amid the ruckus by the opposition, the governor continued to read the speech and said, “Emphasis has been placed on building resilient institutions, expanding opportunities, encouraging innovations, deepening community participation, and promoting responsible stewardship of natural resources. Assam’s economic trajectory during this period reflects a steady expansion of productive activity across sectors. Fiscal discipline and efficiency have also shown marked improvement, with budget utilization reaching approximately 85 percent.”
The Governor said, “Employment generation has remained a central pillar of the government’s development approach. Since 2021, the government has fulfilled its commitment by providing 1.56 lakh government jobs, translating a stated promise into measurable action.”
The governor’s speech included topics such as industrial development, connectivity, sustainable transport, a reliable energy ecosystem, governance reforms, digital governance, and land reforms.
The Governor said, “The government has pursued a comprehensive approach to conservation, promotion and institutional strengthening across archaeology, museums, indigenous faiths, tourism, and cultural expression, ensuring that heritage is preserved with dignity while remaining accessible to present and future generations.”
On internal security and enforcement of law, the Governor said, “From May 2021 to 2025, as many as 59,757 cases have been disposed of by the foreigners tribunals, and 30,264 persons have been declared as foreigners. During this period, a total of 1,517 persons, including declared foreign nationals, convicted foreign nationals and fresh illegal migrants, were deported or sent back.”
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