Assam To Announce Biggest Self-Employment Scheme In Budget: Sarma

The Assam government is likely to announce its “biggest self-employment scheme” in the state budget, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday.

He also indicated that major schemes for poverty alleviation, like health insurance and housing projects, will also feature in the budget that will be presented on Thursday.

“Our aim is to fight against poverty from all corners. From providing ration cards to health insurance to housing schemes to electrification projects,  we are constantly evolving multiple strategies to confront poverty.

“These measures will get reflected in the state budget tomorrow,” Sarma said in the assembly.

In a major step towards development of the state, the government will complete providing one lakh jobs to unemployed youth by May this year, as promised before the elections, the CM said.

“One lakh government jobs for a state like ours was unthinkable. But, we are on course to achieve it and without facing a single litigation in the recruitment process,” he claimed.

On BJP’s poll promise of self-employment avenues for two lakh youths, Sarma said, “I have requested our finance minister Ajanta Neog to announce the state’s biggest ever scheme for self-employment in the budget.”

Sarma also asserted that his government is building a “solid economy” and that Assam will cross a state like Punjab in terms of GDP growth in another three years.

Playing down Opposition criticism that the government has been borrowing heavily, Sarma said its debts were nearly 10 per cent below the RBI-permitted levels.

Sarma, who also holds the home portfolio, maintained that the crime rate in the state has decreased by 15 per cent in 2022 as compared to 2016. 

The government has also been working on increasing farmers’ income, he added.

-With PTI Input