Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Finance Minister Ajanta Neog said that Assam is now competing with more developed states in the country. The Assam government had worked around the clock to arrive at this juncture, she said.
The Finance Minister said this in her reply to the budget debate in the Assam Assembly today. She said, “The target of this budget is to achieve holistic development of the state. For this, we have worked 24x7. Due to the hard work of the government, we are now competing with the five more developed states in the country.”
She further said, “In this budget, we have clearly stated where the money will come from and where it will go. Our own resources from tax and non-tax revenue will be around Rs 43,000 crore. As our share of central taxes, we will get around Rs 44,000 crore. The opposition criticizes us for our share of central taxes, but it is our due because the central taxes are collected from the states, and we get a part of it as our share. For any developing state, infrastructure development is the main criterion. In 2015, the capital expenditure of our state was around Rs 2,900 crore, which has increased to Rs 28,000 in the current fiscal year. Our target in the next fiscal year is to make it around Rs 38,000 crore.”
“As a result of our hard work, we have been able to get more than the recommended amount by the Finance Commission. We have been able to get an enhanced amount of Rs 18,500 crore as a special grant as a reward for our hard work. We have been maintaining the GSDP ratio. In the financial year 2023-24, Assam recorded a growth of 19% in GSDP and 17% in per capita income, making it one of the fastest growing states in the country,” she said.
The finance minister also stated, “We have taken cognisance of the feelings of 3.12 crore people of Assam and have taken up schemes based on that. Due to the previous governments not understanding the feelings of the people, there arose divisions among the people of the Brahmaputra valley, Barak valley, hills, and plains. These divisions have disappeared during the tenure of our government.”
“We have targeted an expenditure of 90% of the budget outlay made in the budget for 2025-26. I appeal to all ministers to work with renewed enthusiasm to achieve this target. Often the opposition criticizes us for spending more under the revenue head and loans taken from various sources, but they should know that the government has to abide by certain rules. We cannot go beyond these rules,” Minister Neog further said.
“Our government is more determined than ever to accelerate the holistic development of Assam with renewed commitment. The Chief Minister has been the cornerstone of our government’s efforts to empower citizens, promote inclusive development, and drive sustainable economic growth,” the minister added. A total of 33 MLAs from both ruling and opposition parties, including Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and leader of the opposition Debabrata Saikia, participated in the budget debate.
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