Guwahati: With a deficit of Rs 774.47 crore and an estimated expenditure of Rs 1,43,890.62 crore, the Annual Budget for the financial year 2024-25 was placed in the Legislative Assembly by finance minister Ajanta Neog on Monday. 

The Budget Estimates of 2024-25 show a receipt of Rs.1,43,605.56 crore under the Consolidated Fund of the State, out of this, Rs.1,11,943.84 crore is on Revenue Account and the remaining Rs.31,661.73 crore is under Capital Account.

As per the budget, after adding the receipt of Rs.1,44,550.08 crore under Public Account and Rs.2,000.00 crore under Contingency Fund, the aggregate Receipts amount to Rs.2,90,155.65 crore. As against this, total expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of the State in 2024-25 is estimated at Rs.1,43,890.62 crore of which Rs.1,10,091.86 crore is on Revenue Account and Rs.33,798.76 crore is on Capital Account.

Taking into account the expenditure of Rs.1,42,670.09 crore under Public Account and Rs.2,000.00 crore under Contingency Fund, the aggregate expenditure for the year is estimated at Rs.2,88,560.71 crore. Thus, estimated transactions during the year will result in an estimated surplus of Rs.1,594.94 crore.

This, together with the opening deficit of Rs 2,369.41 crore will lead to a Budget deficit of Rs 774.47 crore at the end of the financial year 2024-25. 

Some of the major announcements of this year's Budget, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas and Reform, Perform and Transform motto of the Prime Minister, are:

1. Reservation for Agniveers in Assam Police
2. Self-sufficiency in egg, milk and fish production with dedicated budget to help and inspire the farmers, 
3. Promotion of small tea growers, 
4. Startup Mission, 
5. Setting up of training center for weavers, 
6. PM Vishwakarma Yojana, 
7. Farm mechanization, 
8. Rooftop solarisation, 
9. Climate action for a green earth, 
10. Amrit Guwahati Integrated Global City, 
11. Ayushman Asom to reach out to more people, 
12. Comprehensive school health program under CMs Ayushman Asom initiative
13. Investment in Artificial Intelligence

This year's Budget also proposed building of the Mukhya Mantri Sangrahalaya on the lines of Prime Minister's Sangrahalaya. The project will have the legacies of all the former Chief Ministers of the State documented. 

Additionally, the budget has also allocated Rs 240 crore for education of girl child through which 10 lakh girls of the State will get financial grant for higher studies. The budget also projected the growth rate of Assam at 19.9%, which is higher than the National average of 16.1%. 

Meanwhile, reacting to the Budget, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the Budget promises a new dawn for the State. “This budget will take Assam to a 10 lakh crore economy. It will put Assam in the league of the developed states of the county. We don't want Assam to be a dependent State when India becomes a 5 Trillion Economy. I have visited across the State and have seen that many students have not heard about Industrial Revolution 4.0, so through this budget we have also brought in a research facility on augmented reality and artificial intelligence,” Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said. 

The Budget also has an allocation of Rs 25 crore for 25000 pilgrims to visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Speaking of it, the Chief Minister said that Ram has been the soul of Assam and Srimanta Sankardev, the greatest of the Vaishnavite saints in Assam visited many places and wrote about Ram. So, the State has kept a budget for the pilgrimage of Ram Temple.