Assam: Congress Accuses State Government of Misusing Loans

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora accused the Assam Government of serious financial misconduct, alleging that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had misled both the public and the Centre. Addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhavan in Guwahati, Bora said that the latest CAG report had exposed widespread irregularities in the State’s financial management. Bora said the CAG had made it clear that the government had violated the fundamental principle of using loans for investment rather than consumption, particularly by diverting borrowed funds towards beneficiary schemes. He argued that the report demonstrated a pattern of indiscipline and mismanagement under the present administration. According to the CAG’s findings, the State had spent only Rs 1,39,449 crore of the Rs 1,69,966 crore allocated for 2023–24, yet claimed savings of Rs 30,516 crore. Bora noted that the total revenue collected during the year stood at Rs 1,38,830 crore, leaving no realistic scope for such savings. He said this discrepancy reflected misleading claims by the government. He further pointed out that 50 departments had failed to submit utilization certificates amounting to nearly Rs 18,669 crore, including key departments such as Finance, Education and Social Welfare. Keeping such large amounts outside the proper accounting framework, he said, raised serious concerns over the handling of public funds. Bora also warned of the State’s rising debt burden. He said Assam’s total debt was projected to touch Rs 1,74,000 crore by March 2026, with almost the entire amount due for repayment within the next decade, potentially leading to either tax increases or cuts in development expenditure. He added that the debt had already risen by 103% since 2019–20, reaching Rs 1,46,927 crore in 2023–24, while interest payments had more than tripled since 2016–17.

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