Assam: Rs 843-crore BTC Budget passed without much debate

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: The BTC Budget of Rs 843 crore for the financial year 2025-26, tabled by CEM of BTR Pramod Boro on Wednesday, was passed by the House today without much debate. The ruling bench termed the budget as inclusive and comprehensive for the development of all communities while the Opposition was not fully satisfied, saying that the budget was neither enhanced nor proportionate as per population.

As this is the last Budget session of the current council government, all the members of the ruling bench opined that the Budget of CEM Pramod Boro was inclusive to deliver equal development and justice to the 26 communities of the region. One of the EMs Wilson Hasda said that CEM Pramod Boro was connecting all the communities with his inclusive mission and was going to deliver equal justice to all without delay while Opposition leader Derhasat Basumatary said that the budget was just a 5 percent enhancement from the last one. He also said that as per population pattern, the BTC should get 12.19 percent share from the state government but the council had never received funds based on population ratio. He further said that the maintenance bill and material components of the departments had been cut since last year, making them helpless.

MCLA from Opposition bench Fresh Mashahary said that there had been Rs 230 crore unspent fund and that the budget came down to 71.3 percent instead of enhancement. He said that five financial budgets of the present council government were over but the Opposition MCLAs did not get schemes of flagship programmes and other centrally-sponsored schemes for the development of the public in their respective constituencies. He also said that after inclusion of 60 villages of Sonitpur and Biswanath districts in BTC, the people of that area will not be able to entertainment the Panchayat elections, and that at the same time, they were going to be deprived of political rights as no VCDC or TCLCC has been formed and no delimitation of constituency done, as it was not possible in a short time since the BTC elections is likely to take place in September this year.

MCLA from the ruling bench Sanjay Swargiary said that most of the schemes under MGNREGA were not allotted to MCLAs in the last five years and their forwarding letters in the writing pads were also rejected. He questioned the status of MCLAs who have been treated below the rank of chairmen of unelected VCDC and TCLCC. Swargiary sought the reply from the in-charge of P&RD department Gabinda Chandra Basumatary who is also the Deputy Chief of BTC and MLA but in his absence, EM of Parliamentary Affairs Gautam Das replied to his question, which failed to satisfy him.

On the other hand, EM Daobaisa Boro, by bringing a motion, raised questions on the continuous absenteeism of MCLA of Debargaon constituency and former chief Hagrama Mohilary in the Assembly session, and if there was any action upon him for not attending sessions in the last five years. In his reply, Speaker Katiram Boro said that Mohilary was still representing Debargaon as an MCLA and action would be taken as per rule in the near future.

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