Guwahati: Ahead of the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday unveiled a series of major policy announcements during the ongoing Budget Session, highlighting welfare initiatives, investment plans, and employment promises.
Addressing the Assembly, Sarma announced an increase in wages for tea garden workers with effect from March 1. The decision comes amid long-standing demands from the sector for higher daily wages.
On the investment front, the Chief Minister said that 20 Japanese companies are scheduled to visit Jagiroad on February 28 to explore opportunities for setting up industries. The visit is part of the state government’s push to attract foreign investment and strengthen Assam’s manufacturing base.
Focusing on employment, Sarma pledged that his government, if re-elected, will provide 55,000 jobs within the first three years of the new term, specifically within the Education Department. In a pre-election announcement, he also declared that 5,000 new appointments in the Education Department would be made before the polls.
Projecting an ambitious economic vision, the Chief Minister said Assam aims to become a Rs 10 lakh crore economy by 2028. He claimed that the state’s economy has grown by 45 percent over the past five years, positioning Assam among the fastest-growing states in the country.
On infrastructure, Sarma announced that the 150-megawatt Kapili Hydro Power Project will be inaugurated within the next 10 days. He also informed that work has commenced on a 25-megawatt hydro power project in Karbi Anglong, further expanding the state’s renewable energy capacity.