The BJP on Saturday lauded the state budget for setting up a roadmap for “accelerated growth and building a developed Assam in the next five years”.
Addressing a press conference Assam BJP chief spokesperson Rupam Goswami said the budget for 2021-22 fiscal is based on “reality and foresightedness”.
“It sets the tone for accelerated growth of the state and has outlined a roadmap for building a developed Assam in the next five years,” he said.
The government on Friday presented the Rs 566 crore deficit budget for 2021-22 in the state assembly, proposing one lakh government jobs and no new taxes.
The maiden budget of the Himanta Biswa Sarma government was tabled by Ajanta Neog, the state’s first-ever woman finance minister.
Goswami said the budget has given equal attention to all the sectors ranging from culture, social, education, health to agriculture.
He also claimed that the state government has addressed the current COVID situation as it focused on development of health infrastructure and allocated funds for families affected by the coronavirus infection.
The BJP spokesperson also welcomed the decision to provide smartphones to students of class 9 and 10 of government schools as it will help reduce the digital divide that was hampering studies in the current pandemic situation.
The party’s poll promises such as one lakh jobs, waiver of loans from microfinance institutions, conservation of the state’s heritage sites, women empowerment and police modernisation have been included in the budget, he said.
Goswami hailed several schemes and projects that will “benefit the people directly”.
Setting up of the “agriculture commission” will boost the sector and focus on the fishery sector will create employment opportunities for at least one lakh people, he claimed.
Providing relief to about 26 lakh women through the ”Assam Microfinance Relief and Incentive Scheme”, construction of 1,000-km embankment with an expenditure of Rs 1,000 crore, piped water connections to workers of 805 tea gardens among other budget proposals were welcomed by the BJP.
State BJP youth wing president Anup Barman also hailed the announcements for creation of employment opportunities.
Party spokespersons Subhash Dutta, Pabitra Margherita and Janaki Khaund were also present at the press conference. PTI
