Himanta says Union Budget to benefit Assam 'meaningfully'; Oppn terms it 'complacent'

Sarma said the Budget maintained a fine balance between Indias global aspirations and grassroots development, but the opposition parties criticised it, saying there is nothing concrete for Assam and accused the Centre of having an indifferent attitude towards the Northeast.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the state will benefit ''meaningfully'' from the ''reform-oriented'' union Budget, while the Opposition called it ''complacent'' in a year the northeastern state will go to assembly polls. Sarma said the Budget maintained a fine balance between India's global aspirations and grassroots development, but the opposition parties criticised it, saying there is nothing concrete for Assam and accused the Centre of having an ''indifferent attitude'' towards the Northeast. Industry bodies in the Northeast welcomed the annual Budget as a ''balanced and fiscal-disciplined'' one, which will spur development in the region and position it as a ''multi-dimensional growth engine''. The Budget proposed to create five tourist destinations in five eastern states, provide 4,000 e-buses, develop Buddhist circuits in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura and upgrade the National Mental Health Institute in Tezpur as a regional apex centre. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a slew of measures to boost infrastructure in the country, including in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. ''Compliments to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji and Hon'ble Finance Minister Smt @nsitharaman Ji for presenting the #ViksitBharatBudget2026, which strikes a fine balance between India's global aspirations and grassroots development,'' Sarma said. Assam, where assembly elections are likely in March-April, and the eastern region stand will ''benefit meaningfully'' from this reform-oriented Budget, he added. Sarma said that the emphasis on skilling in the Budget aligns with Assam's vision to emerge as a trusted hub for skilled professionals in healthcare, AI and other allied sectors. ''This Budget provides Rs 2 lakh crore under the special assistance to states for capital investment, which will accelerate infrastructure activities in Assam,'' he added. The CM pointed out that the Budget for FY'27 also has a provision of Rs 6,812 crore for the development of the Northeast, underlining the Modi government's sustained focus on the region. ''The Budget's continued emphasis on fiscal discipline and price stability is equally commendable,'' he added. The Assam CM asserted that the Budget has given a lot of emphasis on reforms, ease of doing business and MSMEs. ''So, this is a very good Budget considering the current geopolitical and economic situation. I welcome the Budget wholeheartedly,'' he added. Leaders from opposition parties said there is nothing concrete for Assam despite the state going for elections within a few months. ''The Budget reflects complacency at a time the country needs vision, purpose, clarity and urgency. It was a template Budget and offered no real roadmap even as shifting global conditions demand foresight and preparedness,'' Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi said. Had it been an election year for Lok Sabha, the BJP would have tried to present a bold, aggressive budget and long-term reforms, he added. ''Instead, this reads like the Budget of a government content to sit back and coast through the next three years in power. There is little ambition for structural transformation, but ample comfort for select corporate friends and entrenched big business interests,'' Gogoi said. Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi alleged that the union Budget has once again exposed the ''indifference, discrimination, neglect'' of the Centre towards Assam and the Northeast. ''While the government has been claiming record infrastructure spending and output growth, there is no outline of how Assam will actually benefit from the Budget announcements,'' he added. He said the economic structure of Assam has been destroyed due to massive borrowing without transparent state-wide financial allocation, claiming that the future of the new generation of the state is becoming increasingly uncertain. ''Floods devastate Assam every year, farmers suffer, tea plantation workers remain neglected and small-scale industries collapse -- but this Budget has no answer,'' he added. CPI(M) Assam state secretary Suprakash Talukdar alleged that the union Budget is an ''assault'' on the federal structure of the country. Raijor Dal general secretary Rasel Hussain accused the BJP of neglecting Assam and the Northeast in the union Budget, as it did not announce ''anything specific'' for the region. AIUDF general secretary Aminul Islam said, ''The Budget is very frustrating for Assam and the Northeast. There is nothing for MGNREGA, education and health sectors. We thought there would be something big as Assam is going for polls.'' Industry chambers said the thrust on MSMEs and tourism sectors, along with infrastructure push for tier 2 and 3 cities, will benefit the region. ''This is not a populist Budget. I think it is a balanced and fiscal-disciplined one,'' Federation of Industry and Commerce of North Eastern Region President Bajrang Lohia said. The Regional Council of the Indian Chamber of Commerce said, ''We find it to be a Budget with an emphasis on growth, inclusiveness and forward thinking. We feel this Budget will encourage the overall development of the northeastern region.'' FICCI Northeast Advisory Council also welcomed the Budget, maintaining that it presents ''an inclusive and forward-looking roadmap for economic growth and employment generation''.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)