Assam finance minister Ajanta Neog on Friday presented a Rs 566 crore deficit Budget for 2021-22.

Neog, who is the first female finance minister of the state refrained from levying any new tax on the public.

This is the first budget of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government.

Here are the highlights the Assam Budget, 2021-22: 

–Financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to families who have lost one or more members due to COVID-19

— A new scheme Assam Microfinance Incentive and Relief Scheme (AMFIRS) 2021 to be launched to give relief to distressed borrowers of microfinance loans.

— 1 lakh vacancies in 48 departments to be filled up.

— Four major roadways to be completed by 2021-22:

— Construction of 250 km of roads by ASRIP and construction of 313 km of roads by ARNIP.

— Construction of 1,000 km of embankment cum roads along Brahmaputra and Barak rivers.

–Functioning of Household Tap Connections to all households in 805 tea estates.

–An Indigenous Faith and Culture dept to be set up and three depts – Directorate of Archaeology, Directorate of Museum and Directorate of Historical & Antiquarian Studies – to be subsumed under the new dept.

–Tamulpur is proposed to be created as a new district.

–Smartphones to almost 8 lakh Class IX & X students of Govt schools for online education.

–Rs 3500 per month to COVID orphans below 15 years of age.

–One time financial assistance of Rs 2.50 lakh to be provided to help women from low income families and who have lost their husbands due to Covid.

–Setting up Agriculture Commission to be headed by a scientist of international repute.

–New Wildlife Safari and Rescue Centres to be set up at Dibrugarh and Silchar.

—Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF) set up in partnership with Tata Trusts to establish cancer hospitals at Dibrugarh, Barpeta, Tezpur, Lakhimpur, Mangaldoi, Kokrajhar, Jorhat, Guwahati, Silchar and Diphu by 2022.

–10 police battalions to be set up at 10 locations in a phased manner.

— Assam Cultural Complex to be set up in New Delhi.

–Multi-disciplinary sports complexes to be set up in different parts of state in a phased manner.

–Drones to be deployed to check encroachments in hills.

— Azgarh Wildlife Sanctuary to be declared in Goalpara district.

–Geographical area of Orang National Park to be expanded.