The Assam government announced of taking numerous women-centric initiatives on Monday as part of its Rs 2.9 lakh crore budget for the fiscal year 2024-25. These initiatives include providing financial assistance to educate 10 lakh girls up to the post-graduation level, aiming to eradicate child marriage.
In the context of the upcoming national elections, Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog declared not to impose any new taxes on the general public or commercial establishments. Striving for inclusivity in government employment, she proposed a new law suggesting a five percent weightage in total marks for Grade-3 and Grade-4 job applicants if their family lacks representation in government or PSU firms.
She projected a total budget receipt of Rs 2,90,155.65 crore for the fiscal year 2024-25, with a planned expenditure of Rs 2,88,560.71 crore. This is anticipated to generate a surplus of Rs 1,594.94 crore. Besides, the opening deficit of Rs 2,369.41 crore, it is expected to result in a budget deficit of Rs 774.47 crore by the end of the financial year 2024-25.
In the new flagship scheme Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina (MMNM), Neog announced during her budget speech that 10 lakh girls would receive financial grants as an incentive for admission to pursue education through higher secondary, graduation, and post-graduation studies. She clarified that this initiative aims to support the government’s mission of eradicating child marriages, emphasizing the need to empower girls to make decisions about their marriage timing, in addition to punitive and regulatory measures.
However, she said that students can avail of this benefit only if they enroll in a government institute and remain unmarried. The incentive for girls includes Rs 10,000 for joining Class 11, Rs 12,500 for the first year of graduation, and Rs 15,000 for the preceding year of post-graduation. These amounts are in addition to existing benefits such as free admission and the provision of a scooty. Neog proposed allocating Rs 240 crore for this scheme in the current budget.
Upon availing this benefit, the government commits to facilitating a bank loan of a minimum of Rs 25,000 to each beneficiary. Furthermore, for prudent utilization and timely repayment of the loan, a capital subsidy of Rs 12,500 will be granted to the beneficiary. Neog said that each beneficiary would receive a minimum of Rs 47,500 through the combined support of grant, subsidy, and loan. She also mentioned plans to extend the program to urban areas, covering approximately 2.5 lakh SHG members.
