Guwahati, Mar 10 (PTI) The Assam government on Monday presented a Rs 2.63 lakh crore budget for the 2025-26 fiscal, offering sops to jobless graduates and tea garden workers while suggesting to exempt professional tax on a section of the salaried class in the state where assembly polls are due next year.

With a deficit of Rs 620.27 crore, this is the last full Budget of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led second BJP government.

Finance Minister Ajanta Neog tabled a Rs 2.63 lakh crore Budget for the next financial year that proposed no new tax for the general public but gave additional relief to nearly 1.5 lakh salaried people.

Neog announced extending tax holiday for green tea leaves for two more years to alleviate the challenges faced by the industry, while offering a one-time cash benefit of Rs 5,000 to 6.8 lakh garden workers.

Assembly elections in Assam are likely to take place during March-April next year.

Neog announced a flagship scheme 'Chief Minister's Jibon Prerana' to financially support the graduates for one year during their job search period.

"This initiative is not an unemployment allowance, but motivational support (Prerana) to help them prepare for competitive exams, interviews and entrepreneurial pursuits. I am glad to announce Rs 2,500 per month to the graduates passing out in 2025 from government universities/colleges of Assam," she added.

Under the same scheme, the government seeks to provide a one-time Rs 25,000 grant to the research scholars of state and central government universities. This assistance will be Rs 50,000 for 'divyang' (people with disabilities) research scholars, Neog said.

The government will launch the scheme in October 2025, around six months before the state goes to polls, and allocated Rs 25 crore for its implementation.

Emphasising that no additional tax is imposed on the public, Neog said the budget proposes exemption on professional tax for individuals earning up to Rs 15,000 per month.

"This will benefit more than 1.43 lakh taxpayers/families and boost their purchasing capacity," she said.

Neog also proposed to slash the electricity rate by Re 1 per unit for Jeevan Dhara and domestic consumers up to 120 units in a month, giving relief to 48 lakh consumers out of the total 68 lakh.

"We shall provide Rs 300 crore targeted subsidy this year. If the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) continues to show the positive trend of revenue, I shall consider further reduction in tariff," she added.

The finance minister said that the state government is aware of the challenges faced by the tea industry.

"I also announce extension of tax holiday on green tea leaves under the Assam Taxation (on Specified Lands) Act, 1990, for another two years with effect from January 1, 2025," she added.

Neog announced a one-time financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to each of 6.8 lakh existing tea garden workers, including both casual and permanent workers, to mark the 200 years of Assam Tea, she said while allocating Rs 342 crore for it.

To strengthen forest governance, Rs 9,000 monthly remuneration will be paid to 946 Gaon Pradhans in forest villages, she said.

Besides, Rs 1,500 per month will be given to 'Udasin Bhakats' (a category of Vaishnavite monks) living in Satras (Vaishnavite monastery) to foster cultural pride and heritage conservation, she added.

"The government is cognisant of struggle faced by traders engaged in bell metal industry. I announce reimbursement of SGST for this sector," she said.

The minister projected an aggregate receipt of Rs 2,62,913.92 crore in 2025-26 against a proposed total expenditure of Rs 2,60,959.24 crore, resulting in an estimated surplus of Rs 1,954.68 crore.

"This, together with the opening deficit of Rs 2,574.95 crore, will lead to a budget deficit of Rs 620.27 crore at the end of the financial year 2025-26," she added.

Though Neog mentioned Rs 6.44 lakh crore as the Gross Domestic Product (GSDP) for 2024-25 fiscal registering 13 per cent growth, she did not make any projection of the same for the next fiscal.

"Our government's comprehensive efforts have enabled about 46.87 lakh people to escape multidimensional poverty in Assam, as per the latest report by the Niti Aayog," she added.

The Budget mentioned that the state's unemployment rate decreased from 9.9 per cent to 7.9 per cent over the same period.

On the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan (MMUA) that was announced last year but yet to roll out, Neog said it will cover around 30 lakh Self Help Group members in rural areas and almost 2 lakh members in urban areas by providing entrepreneurship fund of Rs 10,000 as seed capital.

"Upon the successful utilization of this fund, a loan of Rs 25,000 shall be facilitated through bank linkage. I propose to provide a subsidy against such loan amount. I am glad to announce the launch of this scheme on 1st April 2025. Our government will spend Rs 3,038 crore for MMUA," she added.

Neog said that the third edition of poverty alleviation scheme 'Orunodoi' will cover 37.2 lakh beneficiaries in 2025-26 with a budgetary outlay of Rs 5,000 crore.

The Budget mentioned that the government shall start the survey of the Char areas (riverine vegetative islands), where predominantly Bengali-speaking Muslims live, across the state during 2025-26. PTI TR SSG NN

Professional tax exemption and targeted subsidies expand relief and income-support measures ahead of the forthcoming electoral cycle. The state budget for 2025-26 combines targeted tax relief and sectoral support with direct income-assistance and programme funding: it proposes professional tax exemption for lower-salaried individuals, extends a tax holiday for green tea leaves, reimburses SGST for the bell metal sector, and reduces electricity tariffs for low-usage domestic consumers via a targeted subsidy. New welfare measures include the Chief Minister's Jibon Prerana scheme for recent graduates and grants for research scholars, one-time assistance to tea garden workers, and seed-capital and loan-subsidy provisions for women's self-help groups, alongside allocations for forest-village remuneration and cultural stipends.