Union Budget offers very little for Northeast: AIUDF

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: AIUDF Vice President and MLA Aminul Islam on Sunday expressed strong disappointment over the Union Budget 2026–27 presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, stating that it offers very little for the Northeast.

Reacting to the budget, Islam said that for the Northeastern region, only two notable announcements stood out — a 47 percent increase in allocation to the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and the introduction of electric buses, promoting Buddhist tourism. “Beyond these two points, I do not see any substantial or impactful measures for the overall development of the Northeast,” he said.

He criticized the budget for lacking clarity on key schemes such as MGNREGA and alleged that there was no significant enhancement of allocations for crucial sectors like education and healthcare. Referring specifically to the Northeast, Islam said that while the mention of setting up a branch of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Tezpur was a positive development, there was little else in the budget that would directly benefit the region.

The AIUDF leader also expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed changes in GST and tax structures, describing them as unpromising and discouraging for common citizens. Although he acknowledged the reduction in prices of certain cancer and diabetes medicines as a welcome step, he maintained that an overall analysis of GST slabs and taxation measures made the budget disappointing.

Calling it a “conventional budget,” Islam said it fails to meet the expectations of the people and does not provide a clear roadmap for inclusive growth, particularly for the Northeastern states.

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