Congress calling Budget copy of its manifesto but also criticising: Himanta

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said contradiction and confusion were "trademarks" of the Congress as it called the Union Budget a copy of its election manifesto but also criticised it.

He said the Budget would usher in a new wave of development in Assam and the Northeast.

"Congress calls our budget - a copy of their manifesto, yet they criticize it. Contradiction and confusion are Congress's trademarks," he said in a post on X.

"With enhanced budgetary outlays and key sectoral schemes along with dedicated assistance for combating floods, the budget will be a game-changer for the state," he added.

Sarma thanked the Centre for allocating Rs 1,000 crore for the welfare of the tea garden community under the Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana.

"My gratitude to the Government led by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji for this unique scheme that will greatly benefit our brothers and sisters, who form the backbone of Assam's tea industry," he said.

The Budget also increased the allocation for the special package for the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) to Rs 174.66 crore from Rs 100 crore last year.

The Budget also proposed comprehensive flood assistance for Assam, an outlay of Rs 5,900 crore for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER), and 100 new India Post Payments Banks branches in the region.

Sarma complimented Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting a Budget, which he said laid a solid roadmap to maintain India's growth momentum.

He said the Budget stood out for its "unprecedented push" towards employment generation and powering small businesses.

Schemes such as PM's Package for Employment and Skilling, 1 crore paid internship opportunities and employment-linked incentives will be game changers, he said.

"We are extremely grateful for the special assistance Assam will receive under this Budget to help meet the challenges posed by floods. The excellent reforms announced for land registration will complement our ongoing efforts like Mission Basundhara 3.0," Sarma said.

Enhanced allocation under PM Awas Yojana, and schemes such as PM Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan that seeks to achieve saturation of schemes in all tribal majority villages, will also have a net positive impact on the state, he noted.

"The infrastructure push via Rs 1.5 lakh crore to states, focus on improving agricultural productivity, green energy initiatives and generous allocation for rural development will also have a multiplier effect on Assam's growth," the CM said.

"Last but not the least, #UnionBudget2024 has several progressive measures such as the review of the IT Act, withdrawal of Angel Tax, reducing the fiscal deficit, sustaining capex and several other measures will ensure India remains the fastest growing economy in the years to come," he said.