Assam offers aid to temples, gold to brides in state budget

Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sharma here on Wednesday presented a deficit budget of ` 1,193.04 crores with a capital outlay of ` 3,81,688.27 crores for 2019- 20 with no new tax proposals. The budget’s key highlight was a rise in allocation of grants to temples across the state by over ` 2 lakhs.

Free school uniforms will be given to BPL students while the government will disburse ` 50,000 as a one- time assistance for students taking educational loans.

Mr Sarma, attired in traditional “dhotikurta”, began his speech by paying tribute to Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardev, and claimed to have increased the state’s revenue earning by 20 per cent, leading to a total expenditure of over ` 70,000 crores — a new milestone in the state.

The government will provide battery- run “ebikes” to all girl students who secure first division or above in their higher secondary exams to commute to their places of higher studies.

Proposing free books till university for students from families with incomes upto ` 2 lakhs a year, he also announced the government will contribute ` 50,000 on every educational loan taken in the state.

The minister said the government ha earmarked ` 300 crores for the “Arundhati” scheme, under which one tola ( 10 grammes of gold would be gifted to girls at the time of marriage. “A customary ritual which has been part of Assamese society for centuries now is to gift a set of gold ornaments to one’s daughter as a blessing as she leaves her father’s home to ■

start a new life for herself and her family,” the minister said, and added: “The benefit under Arundhati could be availed upon formal registration of marriages under Special Marriage ( Assam) Rules 1954. It will be limited to only economically weaker sections, whose annual income is below ` 5 lakhs.”

The minister, in his budget proposals, announced that his government would provide ` 25,000 immediate assistance to widows below 45 years. The Assam government has also proposed a ` 10 crore solidarity fund to the Meghalaya government as a goodwill gesture for the National Games 2022, that is being hosted by the neighbouring state.

Mr Sarma also announced a series of welfare schemes, which include providing rice at ` 1 per kg to 53 lakh households.

Rice at ` 1 per kg will be provided under the Affordable Nutrition and Nourishment Assistance ( ANNA) Yojana. The government will start the pilot implementation of ANNA Yojana from March 2019.

He also promised to create development councils for indigenous Muslims for holistic development of the council.