GUWAHATI: Eyeing the Assembly elections due early next year, the BJP-led Assam government on Monday presented a populist budget to woo tea garden workers, lower-income groups, farmers, and youth.
Presenting the Rs 2.63 lakh crore budget for the 2025-26 financial year with a deficit of Rs 620.27 crore, Finance Minister Ajanta Neog announced one-time financial assistance of Rs 5,000 each for the state’s 6.8 lakh tea garden workers. This will include both permanent and casual workers.
With this, the government is extending “gratitude” toward the tea garden community on the occasion of 200 years of Assam Tea.
Stating that the government is cognisant of the challenges being faced by the tea industry, Neog announced the extension of the tax holiday on green tea leaves under the Assam Taxation (on Specified Lands) Act, 1990, for another two years.
The budget proposed an exemption on “professional tax” for individuals earning up to Rs 15,000 per month under the Assam Profession, Trades, Callings, and Employments Taxation Act, 1947.
“This will benefit more than 1.43 lakh taxpayers/families and boost their purchasing capacity,” Neog said.
She announced a financial assistance programme, “Chief Minister’s Jibon Prerana,” to support graduates as they transition from education to employment and provide them with stability and encouragement during their job-search period.
Under this, she announced that Rs 2,500 per month would be provided for one year to each graduate passing out in 2025 from government universities and colleges of Assam.
“This initiative is not an unemployment allowance, but a motivational support to help them prepare for competitive exams, interviews, and entrepreneurial pursuits,” the minister said, adding, “This dedicated initiative is meant for beloved bhagins (nephews and nieces) of our Mukhya Mantri.”
Further, Neog stated that in addition to the distribution of rice to ration card holders, the government would provide one kg each of masur dal, sugar, and salt at subsidised rates to them from October this year.
The budget proposed government support of Rs 250 per quintal for paddy and maize and Rs 500 per quintal for mustard, over and above the minimum support price.
Under Mukhya Mantri Utkarsh Yojana, the government will provide a grant of Rs 10 lakh each to around 500 better-performing farmer producer organisations.
The budget also proposed enhancing the honorarium of village chiefs from the present Rs 9,000 per month to Rs 14,000 per month, with effect from October 1, 2025.
Another major announcement was that the state government will increase the coverage of “Orunodoi,” a poverty alleviation programme, from 24 lakh beneficiaries to 37.2 lakh beneficiaries in the 2025-26 fiscal. Under this programme, women are provided with monthly assistance of Rs 1,250.
The budget proposed establishing a dedicated facility to ensure the easy and dignified transportation of deceased individuals from outside Assam. The government will bear the full cost of transporting mortal remains to the bereaved family.