Assam budget revenue neutral, focus on jobs, women empowerment: CM
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday termed the State Budget ‘revenue neutral’, with revenue expenditure, CapEx and revenue receipts balanced.
Addressing a press conference after state Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah presented his maiden Budget in the Assembly, Sarma said the fiscal plan reflects the BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ pledges, with focus on jobs, women empowerment, power, connectivity and agriculture sectors.
“It is a revenue-neutral budget. It means salary, interest, pension, and committed liabilities, which form revenue expenditure, and revenue earnings are balanced… Capital and revenue expenditures, and revenue receipts are at the same pace and balanced,” he said. The Chief Minister highlighted that in 2015-16, capital expenditure was Rs 2,951 crore, which has increased to Rs 29,000 crore this time.
On the tax front, he said, “Barring the green cess, it is a tax-neutral budget. It is in sync with the state’s financial health.” Green cess has been proposed to discourage industries from continuing pollution-causing actions and encourage sustainable practises, Sarma said.
Highlighting various Budgetary proposals, the chief minister said Rs 6,000 crore has been earmarked to implement flagship welfare schemes such as Orunodoi, Nijut Moina.
He further said the state Government was working with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to develop a Rs 1,200-crore semiconductor ecosystem, so that local MSMEs can produce items to meet requirements of such industries.
On the technology front, Sarma said an AI module will be introduced in state Government offices in a phased manner, with four to five departments set to implement it soon.
Asserting his Government’s tough stand against criminals and polygamy, the chief minister warned that “Government employees will lose their jobs for polygamy, and those with criminal antecedents won’t get benefits of any schemes.”
Baruah on Friday presented a Rs 2,85,084 crore Budget for the 2026-27 financial year, proposing to raise the tax exemption limit for small tea growers by four times and cut VAT on piped natural gas by almost 10 percentage points. He also announced the continuance of all major schemes rolled out during the last five years, while stating that he aims to cut the Budget deficit to Rs 419 crore.
The Budget proposed increasing the tax exemption limit for small tea growers fourfold to Rs 10 lakh and raising the subsidy on orthodox and specialty tea by 50 per cent.
Finance Minister also announced a subsidy for export-oriented and premium-quality Assam CTC tea for the first time.
“To provide relief to small tea growers, I propose to enhance the agricultural income tax exemption threshold from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh of annual agricultural income,” he added.
