Assam Budget to boost beleaguered tea industry: Indian Chamber of Commerce

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has asserted that the proposals in the State Budget for the year 2021-22 will boost the beleaguered tea industry.

"The step to boost the tea industry of Assam by declaring tax holidays for three years on payment of tax in respect of green tea leaves grown and bought by the tea estates since January 1, 2019, would certainly enable sustainable growth of the tea industry. With the 805 tea estates have been earmarked for assistance, around 2.7 lakh people are expected to benefit from the scheme," a statement issued by the North East Regional Office of ICC said.

Praising Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Finance Minister Ajanta Neog for tabling a 'pragmatic' budget in the Assembly on Friday, the ICC said, "The allocation of Rs 40 crore package as financial assistance to families who have lost one or member to COVID-19 truly depicts the empathetic attitude of the current Government towards Assam's population".

The tax waiver on medicines and other equipment dealing with Covid 19 is also a pragmatic and encouraging step in the Budget. The endeavour to fill up one lakh vacancies across 48 state government departments is also a laudable step towards the employment generation of the government.

The allocation of Rs 5,556 crore to develop road infrastructure under Asom Mala leading to the infrastructural development of 250 km of roads is another stepping stone in the Budget 2021-22 provisions.

The ICC also commended the innovative step of the Government of Assam in the budget to provide mobile devices to the students of classes IX and X which will bridge the digital divide and also will mitigate learning losses of these underprivileged students and also reduce the dropout rate in schools.

The announcement of the establishment of five new medical colleges in Golaghat, Dhemaji, Morigaon, Bongaigaon and Tamulpur and 10 commando battalions to provide rigorous training on the line of Special Protection Group (SPG), National Security Guard (NSG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Cobra would certainly straighten the health and law and order departments of Assam respectively.

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