Guwahati: The Assam government on Monday presented a Rs 2.63 lakh crore Budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, with a deficit of Rs 620.27 crore.
Opposition said the Budget is aimed at winning support ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, targeting key voter groups like tea plantation workers, women, farmers, youth, government employees, and low-income families.
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Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog proposed Rs 5,000 assistance for 6.8 lakh tea garden workers, both permanent and casual, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the tea industry in the state. In the Budget, the government also extended the tax holiday on green tea leaves for another two years to support the tea industry.
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For women, the government will expand the Orunodoi scheme, which helps with Rs 1,250 per month, from 24 lakh beneficiaries to 37.2 lakh.
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To support youth employment, the government launched the Chief Minister’s Jibon Prerana scheme, giving Rs 2,500 per month to graduates during their job search for one year. Farmers will also receive subsidies, including Rs 250 per quintal for paddy and maize, and Rs 500 per quintal for mustard above the minimum support price (MSP).
Additionally, Rs 10 lakh grants will be given to 500 farmer producer organizations through the Mukhya Mantri Utkarsh Yojana.
The Budget also includes subsidies for ration card holders to buy lentils, sugar, and salt at lower prices, alongside subsidized rice starting in October. A Rs 5 per litre subsidy on milk will support 18,000 small dairy farmers.
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The honorarium for village chiefs will rise from Rs 9,000 to Rs 14,000 per month starting October 1.
To reduce human-elephant conflict in districts like Goalpara, Udalguri, Nagaon, Baksa, and Sonitpur, the government introduced the Gaja Mitra scheme.
This includes AI-based camera traps for tracking elephants and faster paddy procurement in areas with frequent elephant activity. The government is also promoting the growth of Napier grass to help prevent elephant crop raids.
The government also announced plans to launch Assamsat, a satellite to provide continuous data for agriculture, disaster management, infrastructure, and border management. This project will be developed with the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre.
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The Budget proposed a facility to cover the costs of transporting deceased individuals from outside Assam, ensuring their safe return to their families.