Assam: FM Ajanta Neog Tables Budget, Made Several Announcements

Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog has tabled the budget 2021-22. This is the first budget of the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government.

The Finance Minister made several important announcements.

1. Ensuring welfare of tea garden workers

• Scheme to cover 805 tea estates
• Functioning Household Tap Connections to all households in tea garden areas
• Bear expense of electricity dues & chemicals for 5 years
• Provide piped gas supply to households
• Targeted beneficiaries: 2,69,648

2. Food Security For All

• Affordable Nutrition & Nourishment Assistance (ANNA) Yojana and Anna Nischito Asoni
• Cooked meals to beneficiaries in association with reputed voluntary organisations
• Fair Price Shop dealers' margin hiked from Rs. 101.1 to Rs. 143 per quintal
• Annual grant-in-aid of Rs 5 lakh each for services rendered in supply chain management of food grains towards reaching ONORC goal
• Steps for setting up POS devices in FPS Coverage of all NFSA beneficiaries under Aadhaar Allocation for ANNA Yojana

3. Sonali Xaishab Bikkashit Axom

• 1,000 model Anganwadi centres (ACs) to be set up
• Fund allocated: Rs.13.50 cr Fund to construct each Anganwadi Centres
• Rs.25 lakh Allotment of Rs 144 cr for electrification of 48,805 ACs & 13,656 primary schools

4. Asom Mala

• Construction of 250 km of roads by ASRIP (with aid from Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) Construction of 313 km of roads by ARNIP (with aid from Asian Development Bank)
• Four major roadways to be completed by 2021-22: • Kokrajhar to Rupsi Airport via Bashbari – 74 km • Rowta to Misamari – 50 km • Gohpur to Dholpur via Ghagrabasti – 28 km • NH 52 (Dirak gate) Bijulibon Pengeree – 38 km

5. Orunodoi scheme

• One month every year to be observed as Orunodoi Month
• Orunodoi logo to be pasted outside beneficiaries' homes
• Monthly assistance increased from Rs 830 to Rs.1000
• Additional number of beneficiaries: 6.36 lakh
• Total budget for 2021-22: Rs.1800 cr

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