Assam to benefit from thrust on Tier-2 & 3 cities, Buddhist Circuit in Union Budget: Officials

Assam is expected to benefit from the Union Budgets thrust on infrastructure development of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, as well as the announcement of Buddhist Circuits, officials said. Lohia said the push for MSMEs will benefit Assam and the northeast, as the region has mostly medium and small enterprises, and the infrastructure development boost for tier-3 and tier-4 cities will also aid the region.

Assam is expected to benefit from the Union Budget's thrust on infrastructure development of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, as well as the announcement of Buddhist Circuits, officials said. The focus on MSMEs will also be advantageous for the poll-bound state, which has a large number of small and medium enterprises, they said. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget speech, announced that focus will be on Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, and even temple-towns, which need modern infrastructure and basic amenities. With a focus on the 'Purvodaya' states and the northeastern region, the Budget has proposed the development of an integrated East Coast Industrial Corridor with a well-connected node at Durgapur in West Bengal. It also has provision of 4,000 e-buses for the entire region. Assembly elections are due in Assam in the coming months. The Budget also proposed creation of five tourism destinations in the five 'Purvodaya' states. The proposal for setting up a Buddhist Circuit in the region, including Assam, also features in the Union Budget for 2026-27. ''The North-Eastern Region is a civilisational confluence of Theravada and Mahayana/Vajrayana traditions. I propose to launch a scheme for development of Buddhist Circuits in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura,'' Sitharaman said. The scheme will cover preservation of temples and monasteries, pilgrimage interpretation centers, connectivity and pilgrim amenities. It has also been proposed to upgrade the National Mental Health Institutes in Tezpur as a Regional Apex Institution. The Federation of Industry and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) termed the budget as ''balanced and fiscal-disciplined'', contending that it was not a populist one. Though Assembly elections are close, there is nothing as such for the state, FINER president Bajrang Lohia added. Lohia said the push for MSMEs will benefit Assam and the northeast, as the region has mostly medium and small enterprises, and the infrastructure development boost for tier-3 and tier-4 cities will also aid the region. ''The announcement of the Buddhist Circuit will help the tourism sector, which will in turn propel the economy,'' he said. Former FINER president R S Joshi said: ''Some may say that there is no specific mention of the northeast, but it is a Union Budget. Allocation in all sectors have gone up and these will benefit the region, too.'' The Budget has been prepared keeping in mind the geo-political tensions, including the Russia-Ukraine war, tariff hikes by the US and ''other negativities'', he said. The North East India Regional Council of the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) said the Union Budget will encourage the overall development of the region, positioning it as a ''multi-dimensional growth engine''.

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