Assam Budget 2024 Live: Ajanta Neog Presents Budget | Key Points

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• Our Government boldly announced that we shall provide one lakh Government jobs to our boys and girls. We feel proud to state that we have successfully completed the recruitment of 94,506 youths till January 2024.

Further, advertisements for 35,910 posts have already been published taking the total jobs created to 1,30,416. You all agree that this is perhaps the first time such a record-level recruitment has taken place within the shortest possible time.

• We are very keen to see the benefits of these jobs accrued to as many families as possible bringing social equity.

• Last year I announced Mukhya Mantri Sva-Niyojan Mission as a flagship scheme.

• It received tremendous response and about 1,04,000 youth applied and submitted detailed project reports. Selection process shall commence from this February month itself.

• Micro-entrepreneurs will receive Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh in instalments, as a combination of government grants plus interest-free government loan. Interest-free government loan to be paid back after a period of 5 years starting from the 61st month in 60 equal installments. There will be training and mentorship in various sectors including Trading, Manufacturing, Service, Food Processing, Handloom, Handicraft, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Fishery, and Dairy etc.

• Rs 1,010 crore will be spent for this purpose from under Chief Minister Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojna (CMSGUY).

• It gives me immense pleasure to apprise this House that fulfilling our promise, under Category I, II and III (Phase-1) of the Assam Micro Finance Incentive and Relief Scheme, around 12 lakh borrowers have received assistance totalling Rs. 2,081 crore.

• This year, we will extend support to those poor women borrowers under category-III, whose accounts have become non-performing assets as on 31st March 2021 and have an outstanding principal amount from Rs 25,001 up to Rs 50,000.

• I allocate a sum of Rs 550 crore for this scheme during the Financial Year 2024-25.

• In keeping with our pledge from the previous year, Orunodoi 2.0 has been introduced statewide to guarantee that the benefits of the program extend to transgender and divyangjan individuals in addition to the State's antyodaya women.

• Today, Orunodoi also includes households with individuals who have dwarfism or who suffers from conditions like cerebral palsy, thalassemia, haemophilia, leprosy, or autism spectrum disorder.

• Scheme coverage has expanded to more than 27 lakhs beneficiaries today. They have been receiving Rs. 1250 each on the 10th day of every month directly in their bank accounts.

• Speaker sir, it’s my privilege to announce today that our Government has decided to include 2.5 lakh additional beneficiaries under this Scheme this year, taking total reach of Orunodoi to more than 30 lakh households in the state.

• Further, Government will attempt to provide Orunodoi Poriyal saturation under National Food Security Act (NFSA) by integrating the ration cards with Orunodoi on pilot basis in the districts of Charaideo and Biswanath.

• In order to ensure Ease of living for these needy, Government will consider providing Orunodoi Beneficiaries insurance coverage under two Schemes -Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY).

• I am earmarking Rs. 3,800 crore for this scheme in this budget.

• Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan, an ambitious mission aimed at promoting the entrepreneurial spirit of our women.

• Our Government’s twin objectives are to strengthen income of our women entrepreneurs and also to establish them as business entrepreneurs in Amrit Kaal.

• We will provide an entrepreneurship fund of Rs. 10,000 to each one of 39,67,743 women members of Self-Help Groups in the rural areas, subject to certain conditions, throughout the State.

• Once they avail this benefit, we commit to facilitate a bank loan of minimum of Rs. 25,000 to each beneficiary. Furthermore, upon the prudent utilization and timely repayment of the loan amount, a capital subsidy of Rs. 12,500 will be provided to the beneficiary.

• Thus, each beneficiary would get a minimum of Rs. 47,500 as grant, subsidy and loan together.

• The distribution of application forms to the SHG members for availing the same has already been started.

• I am glad to announce that we shall extend the implementation of this scheme in urban areas also as Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita AbhiyaanNogoria covering approximately 2.5 lakh SHG members.

• I allocate adequate resources for the successful implementation of this scheme.

"Inspired by the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, the Astadash Mukutor Unnoyonee Mala was conceptualized by then Finance Minister and our beloved Chief Minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma in 2017-18. These 18 Schemes are dynamic in nature. Some of the completely new and innovative and others have been improved as per the changing needs of our society," said Ajanta Neog.

• 10 lakh girls (one million- Nijut Moina) will be supported with financial grants as admission incentives to continue their education to higher secondary, graduation, and post-graduation studies.

• This is to bolster the Government’s Mission to eliminate child marriages. Apart from punitive and regulatory measures, we need to empower the girl children to decide when to marry.

• If 10 lakh girl children are encouraged to study till graduation and post-graduation, this would also increase the percentage of girls educated beyond Matriculation.

• They will be eligible for this benefit only if they study in any government college/education institution. Secondly, the girls married are not eligible for this benefit.

• An admission incentive of Rs.10,000 will be paid to each of the girl student who joins in Class 11.

• Similarly, Rs. 12,500 will be paid to those girls who join graduation first year.

• For a girl student who joins in the first year of postgraduation course shall get an admission incentive of Rs. 15,000.

• This is in addition to the existing benefits like free admission, provision of scooty, etc as applicable.

• I propose to set apart Rs. 240 crore towards this scheme in this budget.

Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog has begun her budget speech in the 'Amrit Kaal' by customary greetings, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Cheif Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog arrived at the state assembly with this year's budget. Here are some pictures of her arrival.

Several key bills were tabled during the ongoing Budget session of the Assam Legislative Assembly which began on February 5. On the very first day of the budget session the Assam Public Examination Bill (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment), 2024 was tabled in a bid to curb cheating and use of other unfair means during examinations.

The Assam cabinet meeting held ahead of the budget also approved the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024.

Reporting on the outcome of the cabinet meeting at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati, Assam Tourism Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah stated that the state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has given its approval to the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024. This bill aims to offer support to individuals who have been subjected to harmful magical practices under the guise of treatment.

The Assam cabinet has given the green light to the creation of the Wildlife Safari and Rescue Centre in Namdang Reserved Forest, located in the Dibrugarh district. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 259 crore, aimed at offering rescue and rehabilitation services for the local wildlife.

To know more about the cabinet decisions, click here.

Also Read: Crucial Assam Cabinet Meeting Ahead Of Budget | Key Points

Watertight security measures are in place at the newly constructed Assam Legislative Assembly building which will witness its first budget today.

Congress MLA from Naoboicha in Assam's Lakhimpur, Bharat Narah expects the budget to attract and appease voters with the Lok Sabha general elections ahead.

He said, "The government will bring a Lok Sabha-centric budget. Expectations are to introduce welfare schemes in a bid to attract voters."

"The real picture will be clear only after the budget is tabled," added Narah.

Meanwhile, Congress' Salmara South constituency MLA Wazed Ali Choudhury echoed the sentiments saying that there is no special expection from the budget as it will be an election-centric one.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma began the question and answer period of the legislative assembly by taking questions from the opposition as the holder of the portfolio of home affairs. Here's the live feed.

I am attending the Budget Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly https://t.co/EgZqfHYoRs

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 12, 2024

The Assam Budget for 2024-25 financial year is scheduled to be tabled today by Finance Minister Ajanta Neog in the Assam Assembly. Sources close to the developments inform that the budget is expected to be tabled at around 2 pm in the afternoon.

Ahead of that, the day's activities will begin with question and answer period at around 9:30 am. The home department will be faced with answering several crucial questions aimed at it, including those on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Foreigners' Tribunal, sources informed.

Today's activities of the Assam Assembly will be divided into two sessions - one from 9:30 am to 12 noon, and the other from 2 pm till the end of budget speech.

Ahead of the beginning of the budget session of the Assam Legislative Assembly on February 5, Finance Minister Ajanta Neog had said, "This will be my fourth budget. I am going to place the budget in the floor of the house on February 12. My first priority is to place a realistic budget. This is an important aspect that whenever place a budget the expenditure should be 100 percent."

"From my three years experience we have seen that our expenditure is upto sometimes it is near about 80 percent. This year we are going to try a new formula that if we place a realistic budget then the expenditure will be more," the Assam finance minister said.

She further said, "First, we have prepared a realistic budget. We are trying to make such a budget where every sector will be reflected. We will try to give benefits to the women, youths and as a whole we will try to make it as in place of expenditure also, increase of public expenditure, capital expenditure in case of infrastructure development."

Also Read: Assam Budget For 2024-25 Fiscal Year To Be Tabled On Feb 12

Infrastructural development has witnessed a never-seen-before boom in the last four years in Assam under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma government. New roads, highway, flyovers and bridge projects have come up and many remain in the pipeline.

"Flyover politics" is likely to take centre stage with the upcoming Lok Sabha general elections this year and then polls in the state in two years' time. So could infrastructure take the limelight in the budget?

Here's a look at the previous budget.

Also Read: Assam Budget 2023-24: Ajanta Neog Announces Slew Of Infrastructural Projects

The Assam Finance Minister had presented the budget last year with an aggregate expenditure approximately around Rs 3.21 lakh crore for the year.

Ajanta Neog had announced that Assam's GDP estimates will rise to Rs 5.5 lakh crore in 2023-24 from Rs 3.93 lakh crore in 2021-22. She had further proposed the implementation of a scheme to promote microentrepreneurs for the creation of self-employment opportunities among the unemployed youths belonging to the below poverty line (BPL) families and low-income households.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier said that his government aims to make Assam a Rs 10 lakh crore economy. Expectations will be high, while the common man will look for only one thing - respite from rising inflation in day-to-day commodities.

On the eighth day of the ongoing budget session of the Assam Legislative Assembly that began on February 5, Finance Minister Ajanta Neog is all set to table the state's budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. Earlier, she had said that the priority this year will be place a "realistic" budget. Follow all the action during a heated budget day live on Pratidin Time.