Assam to benefit from thrust on Tier-2 & 3 cities

Assam is expected to benefit from the Union Budget’s thrust on infrastructure development of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, as well as the announcement of Buddhist Circuits, officials said. The focus on MSMEs will also be advantageous for the State, which has a large number of small and medium enterprises, they said. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget speech, announced that focus will be on Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, and even temple-towns, which need modern infrastructure and basic amenities.

With a focus on the ‘Purvodaya’ States and the northeastern region, the Budget has proposed the development of an integrated East Coast Industrial Corridor with a well-connected node at Durgapur in West Bengal. It also has provision of 4,000 e-buses for the entire region. The Budget also proposed creation of five tourism destinations in the five ‘Purvodaya’ States. The proposal for setting up a Buddhist Circuit in the region, including Assam, also features in the Union Budget for 2026-27.

“The North-Eastern Region is a civilisational confluence of Theravada and Mahayana/Vajrayana traditions. I propose to launch a scheme for development of Buddhist Circuits in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura,” Sitharaman said. The scheme will cover preservation of temples and monasteries, pilgrimage interpretation centres, connectivity and pilgrim amenities. It has also been proposed to upgrade the National Mental Health Institutes in Tezpur as a Regional Apex Institution.