Guwahati News Desk: Finance Department of Government of Assam has released the highlights of Budget 2021-22 in the Budget Session for the year 2021-22 by the Finance Minister of Assam Ajanta Neog.
Here are the 18 flagship schemes launched in the Budget Session:
1) Chief Minister COVID Relief Scheme: To extend the wholesome support of the Government in form of financial assistance to the families not covered under Chief Minister’s Shishu Seva Scheme or Chief Minister’s COVID-19 Widow Support Scheme, an amount of Rs 1 lakh shall be provided to the next of kin of a COVID-19 victim.
2) Microfinance Incentives: Initiatives to safeguard the economically vulnerable groups and individuals from the undue hardship of usurious interest rate and coercive means of recovery by all lenders of micro finance.
3) Engagement of unemployed youths: Requirement of 1,00,000 (one lakh) educated youths of the state in Government sector.
4) Orunodoi: It is one of the largest initiatives for women empowerment DBT scheme. There will be an increase in monthly amount to Rs 1000 per family from the current financial benefit of Rs 830 per family.
5) Asom Mala: An ambitious programme for the transformation of the state highways and major district road network to next generation high speed road corridors.
6) Swanirbhar Naari: Scheme dedicated to the weavers of Assam who are weaving their dreams in the looms. Government has decided to procure handloom items directly from the indigenous weaver through ARTFED and AGMC. The weavers will be imparted quality training to upgrade their skills in Handloom Training Centres and Institutes.
7) 1000 kilometres of embankments cum roads: In a mission of building a flood-free Assam, 1000 km of embankments in Brahmaputra and Barak Valley with be strengthened and converted into roads cum embankments.
8) Sonali Xaishab Bikkashit Axom: 1000 model Anganwadi Centre will facility of child care will be set up in order to make the Anganwadi Centres effective, facilities like proper running water, sufficient light and fan will be put in place.
9) Affordable Nutrition and Nourishment Assistance (ANNA) Yojana and Anna Nischito Asoni: People left out from the National Food Security Act 2013 in the urban areas like destitute/homeless who live by begging or those who are of an unsound mind, living in the slum areas on the road-sides we will provide free cooked meals with the help of reputed NGO’s.
10) Tap drinking water connection in tea garden labour lines: In order to improve their living conditions, we will provide Functioning Household Tap Connections (FHTC) to all households living in the tea gardens of the state. This scheme will cover 805 tea gardens across Assam within a year.
11) Revitalising Agriculture: Government of Assam proposes to constitute an Agriculture Commission under a scientist of international repute to focus on issues related to agriculture, animal husbandry, dairy sector in Assam. The Commission will study and suggest measures for achieving self-sufficiency in the field of agriculture production, milk, egg and pork production, identify constraints and devise a road map to achieve the goal in five years.
12) Garukhuti Project: To provide livelihood options to indigenous youth living in that area, encompassing not only modern agriculture practices but also scientific animal rearing practices. One such experiment was at Garukhuti under Sipajhar Block in Darrang district.
13) Blue Revolution ‘Sunil Biplab’: To encourage the community based fish culture by constructing village community tanks in all revenue villages of Assam. The community tanks can be used for increasing fish production through participatory fish culture. Based on this principle, ponds will be constructed in community lands. Adam had sufficient community lands and the recent experience of RIDF implementing ‘Ghare Ghare Pukhuri Ghare Ghare Maach’ shows that fish ponds constructed on the lines of community ponds are successful in achieving socio-economic development.
14) Department of Indigenous Faith and Culture: The Government proposes to create a new Department – Department of Indigenous Faith and Culture – for preserving and propagation of the unique languages and cultures, religious customs and rituals, attire, food habits, folk beliefs and traditions of the indigenous communities and ethnic groups of our state. Prime objective of this is to keep the tradition and heritage of small ethnic groups and communities of our state. The objective of the Department will be to keep vibrant the eternal art and culture, religious traditions, folk songs and similar other identities of each ethnic group of the state.
15) Expeditious Implementation of Special Capital projects: In order to further expedite the administration process and to do away with redundancy in the system, our government has decided to do away with the ceiling process for certain schemes of utmost priority. These schemes will be regarded as State Priority Projects with faster implementation modalities, with greater devolution of administrative and financial powers directly to the implementing agencies.
16) Special assistance to small traders and artisans: Covid Pandemic affected all spheres of life. Amongst them one of the most vulnerable sectors which were affected were cottage industries, small traders, artisans. Infact, their livelihood was at stake and they were not able to pay the rent and taxes due to the lockdown imposed from time to time. An one of the grant will be provided to overcome the disruption due to global pandemic.
17) Smart phones for students of class IX and X in government schools: To minimize the leaning loss and bridge the digital divide, the government has taken an innovative step to provide mobile devices to the students to class IX and X which will mitigate learning losses in respect of these under privileged students. This will act as a positive reinforcement for continuity of education and will also act as a deterrent against dropout rate in schools. This scheme will benefit almost 8 lakhs students to class IX and X.
18) 1000 health sub-centres will be converted to hospitals: 1000 sub centers/HWCs will be converted to Buniyadi Swasthya Kendra (BSK) where free medical consultation, diagnostics test/ medical treatment of primary diseases including diabetes, hypertension, asthma, communicable diseases shall be provided.