Ajanta Neog Presented Assam Budget For FY 2022-23, Check The Key Highlight

On Wednesday 16 March, Finance Minister of Assam Ajanta Neog presented the state budget for the fiscal year 202-23 at the Assam Legislative Assembly.

The budget was presented amid the decline of the COVID-19 situation in Assam and international economic instability that is caused by the Russian invasion of its neighbouring country Ukraine.

The details from the speech of the Finance Minister are:

1. 4 new schemes for construction of the road has been announced that include Path Nobikaran Achani, Unnoti Pakipath Nirman Achani, Pakipath Nirman Achani, and Mothauri Pokikaran Achani. These schemes aim for the upgradation, construction and maintenance work of all-weather roads including those on embankments.
2. The rivers of Subansiri at Dhunaguri and Luit will have 2 major bridges under the Indian government and AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank). It was also added that the bridge linking Majuli with Bihpuria and Nemati is currently in progress.
3. Trumpet Junction to be constructed at Gauripur of North Guwahati aiming to increase benefits of the bridge over Brahmaputra River.
4. In 2022-23, at least 4 roads under Asom Mala to be upgraded and a new elevated road will come up at GNB Road of Guwahati city along with a new flyover project will be built up in Mancota Road located in Dibrugarh town.
5. There will be a one percent reduction of VAT (Value Added Tax) on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) for planes. A new scheme will be introduced to ease cheaper air connectivity from Guwahati to Lakhimpur, Silchar, Tezpur and Dibrugarh,
6. New airports to be proposed in Silchar and Karbi Anglong along with 3 new heliports at Geleki, Haflong and Nagaon.
7. Joint survey for the de-notification of 180 acres of forest land area for the development of the Rupsi Airport in Sukatikhata of Kokrajhar district of Assam.
8. Active engagement with the government of India for a Greenfield Airport at Diphu of Karbi Anglong district.
9. Projects to come up for the preservation of Eksarana Dharma were undertaken at Bordowa Than in Narayanpur and Gangmou Satra.
10. New project to come up at Patbaushi Satra of Rupees 2.5 lakh to each of 1,260 namghars under Assam Darshan Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra.
11. An amount of Rupees 156 crore was allotted for the acquisition of 50 acres of land for the construction of Jorhat Airport and rupees 50 crores to asset 870 acres of land for Greenfield Airport at Silchar.
12. In addition, an amount of Rupees 3.56 crore will be allotted for purchasing 84 acres of land for Lilabari Airport at North Lakhimpur.
13. The Assam Inland Water Transport Development Society to develop thirteen small terminals on National Waterway 2 on the Brahmaputra at Guijan Umananda, North Guwahati, Uzan Bazar, Kurua, Neemati Ghat, Ghaghor, Aphalamukh, Kachari, Disangmukh, Goalpara and Matmora.
14. Lachit Borphukan Samadhi at Hollongapar to be preserved and beautified along with a digital documentary film and an amount of Rupees 7 crore for Aloboi War Memorial to honour 10,000 Ahom Martyrs.
15. The Jorhat Jail to be developed as the Memorial Park of North East Freedom Fighter and renovation of the Gomdhar Konwar Samadhi and Maniram Dewan Samadhi at Jorhat.
16. Rang Ghar at Sivasagar will lighten up with light and sound system to attract tourists across the country.
17. An estimated cost of Rupees 15 crore is earmarked for land possession for Pratima Pandey Barua Museum at Gauripur of Dhubri for the preservation of memories of the iconic folk singer and for the promotion of Goalparia folk song as well.
18. APSC to fill 13,572 Class III and 13,787 Class IV posts and finalize 3,587 Grade-I and 1,568 Grade-II vacancies.
19. Compassionate Appointment for 930 posts in Education Department and Sixth Schedule Areas to be completed soon to meet target of 1 lakh jobs.
20. Incentives under Category-1 of Assam Micro Finance Incentive and Relief Scheme (AMFIRS) to be disbursed before Bohag Bihu in the remaining 7 districts of Assam.
21. Government to pay overdue amounts of Category-2 and clear outstanding debt of Category-3 borrowers whose accounts have turned NPA and for the purpose a total budget of Rupees 2,500 crores allotted.
22. Orunodoi assistance enhanced to Rupees 1,250 per month from the upcoming financial year with Rupees 250 additional subsidy for 50 units of electricity
23. Plan to organize North-East festival of Indigenous and Tribal Culture and games to showcase the indigenous culture to the international audience and 10 colleges in Bodoland Territorial Region will be provincialized.
24. 436 schools in tea garden areas to be brought under the ambit of state government and 117 Model High Schools in gardens to run from 10 May of this year.
25. Mission Zero Drop-Out will be launched for the identification and mapping of vulnerable girl children and customized plans to provide child-specific interventions such as conditional cash transfer.
26. Mahaprabhu Jagannath Community and Skill Centre in 800 tea gardens will be formed to provide training to the tea tribe youth and to organise community-based events.
27. Disinvestment strategy for Assam Tea Corporation Limited and payment of outstanding provident fund liabilities by 2023-24 for Rupees 142.5 crores.
28. For the holistic development of Tai Ahom, Moran, Matak, Chutia and Koch-Rajbongshi Rupees 25 crore is earmarked in the present budget.
29. OBC communities to have their own authorized organizations to recommend the issuance of caste certificates to the community members.
30. Proposed plan to allow up to 50 bigha per tribal family by removing the upper ceiling of 8 bigha under Assam Land Policy, 2019.
31. Continuation of Pragyan Bharati scheme with free textbooks, hostel mess dues waiver, and admission fee waiver for Below Poverty Line (BPL) students, scooters to meritorious students, Rupees 10,000 mobility grant to girls, education loan under Abhinandan and Anundoram Barooah Award.
32. Aarohan relaunched where girls and boys secured the first position in Class IX to be given exposure to premier academic institutions such as IIT Guwahati. ₹2000 to be given to every student as a book grant & mobility grant, with the allotment of ₹1 lakh per district.
33. Seuj Axom Abhijan to increase green cover in Assam from 36 percent and to 38 percent in five years using the Miyawaki model. Establishment of Assam Agro-Forestry Development Board. Introduction of 200 electric vehicles and 100 CNG buses for ₹250crore under Smart City project in Guwahati.
34. Renovation of 241 anti-poaching camps in Golaghat, Nagaon, Biswanath and Sonitpur districts. 35 km elevated corridor for safe passage of animals from Kaziranga to Karbi Anglong for ₹4,865 crore. Nine elephant corridors to be notified.
35. 832 hectare land acquisition for Kaziranga National Park. ₹48.08 crore for land compensation to 1,085 displaced families. Finalization of Eco-Sensitive Zone of integrated Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
36. Construction of seven more cancer hospitals in Dibrugarh, Barpeta, Kokrajhar, Tezpur, Jorhat, Lakhimpur and Darrang to commence within 2022-23. Robotic Surgery unit earmarked for State Cancer Institute, GMCH for ₹15 crore.
37. Proposal to set up three new medical colleges at Sivasagar, Karimganj and Goalpara, along with a super-specialty hospital at IIT Guwahati. Construction of medical colleges at Dhemaji, Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Golaghat and Tamulpur to start this year.
38. Expansion of primary healthcare with the establishment of 1,000 Buniyadi Swasthya Kendras and upgrading 200 sub-centers. New Ayurvedic Colleges to be set up at Dudhnoi and Palashbari. One BSc Nursing College and GNM Nursing School for each medical college.
39. District hospitals in Barpeta, Silchar, Diphu, Jorhat, Tezpur and Lakhimpur to be upgraded to super-specialty hospitals for ₹3,798 crores. Sneha Sparsh Plus scheme to cover rehabilitation costs for children suffering from cerebral palsy.
40. Mission Basundhara 2.0 has been introduced to offer next-generation land-related services. This will enable the realization of land revenue from the rightful owner and allow them to use the land as collateral to unlock the value of the land.
41. All post-retirement benefits will be ensured for state government employees including payment of GPF, Gratuity, Leave Encashment and GIS through a single-window interface.
42. ₹129.89 crores is earmarked towards interest subvention for state government employees under Apun Ghar and Bidyalakshmi scheme at a subsidized rate of interest.
43. Dedicated IT portal to be launched for a simplified medical reimbursement process for state government employees.
44. Empanelled hospitals to be withdrawn so that employees can avail treatment at the hospital of their choice.
45. Extensive training and demonstration for promotion of natural farming. International Year of Millets to be celebrated in 2023. Fodder Mission proposed to be set up.
46. 40 seed farms under Assam Seed Corporation Limited and Directorate of Agriculture with the allocation of ₹10 crores. Decentralized Procurement Scheme for Kharif Marketing Season 2022-23. 150 Paddy procurement centres and at least 30 rice receiving depots to be set up.
47. 3 percent increase in Dearance Allowance in addition to the 11 percent already provided to state government employees and pensioners.
48. ₹28.80 crores earmarked for Bhasha Gourab Scheme which provides corpus funds to 21 indigenous Sahitya Sabhas and one-time assistance to authors under Lekhak Sambardhana.
49. ₹4000 crores earmarked for Mukhya Mantri Souro Shakti Prokolpo to increase the generation of clean energy by installing solar power generation plants with an aggregated installed capacity of 1,000 Mega Watts.
50. ₹2,127 crores for 120 MW Lower Kopili Hydro Electric Project. Two projects of 46.5 MW on the Borpani river are in progress. ₹2500 crores earmarked for 10MW Namrup Replacement Power Project Phase-II and 100MW Namrup Gas Engine Project.
51. New Industrial and Investment Policy, 2022 to boost industrial growth. Hospitals, hotels and cruise services, shipbuilding and vehicle scrap processing facility will be included in the industrial sector for various incentives under the new policy.
52. Sibsagar College, Kokrajhar Government College, Bongaigaon College, Jagannath Barooah College, North Lakhimpur College, Handique Girls' College and Nagaon college to be elevated into universities. ₹10 crore to each college as grants-in-aid for capital expenditure.
53. NIDA Fund of ₹50 crore each to Majuli University, Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhattadev University, Madhabdev University, Birangana Sati Sadhini State University and Aniruddhadev Sports University.
54. ₹25 crores to Gauhati University for start-up ecosystem. ₹15 crores each to Assam University, Tezpur University and Silchar University. ₹25 crores to Assam Agriculture University. TISS Guwahati to get ₹15 crores and ₹10 crores for IIIT Guwahati.
55. ₹10 crores earmarked for Science block in Haflong College. Grant-in aids for payment of 75% salary for Srimanta Sankardeva Vishwa Vidyalaya. Faculty members can withdraw salary in 12 equal installments without a ceiling.
56. Youth Commission to be set up under Mukhya Mantri Vikas aru Niyog Asoni. Candidates will be enrolled in intensive coaching for employment in all India/State/ Civil services /SSC/ Banking/ Insurance sectors/ PSUs/ Central Armed Police Forces.
57. Amrit Guwahati Integrated Global City (Amrit GiG City) to be developed as a new-age, world-class integrated business city. Spread across 1,000 acres, it will have a world-class infrastructure for next-generation industries.

Also read: AIUDF Supremo Badruddin Ajmal Urges PM Modi To Ban "The Kashmir Files"

Also watch: