"Assam and Northeast writing a new chapter of development": Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Union Budget

Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 11 (ANI): Union Minister for Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said that Assam and the entire Northeast are scripting a "new chapter of development", asserting that the recently presented Union Budget lays a strong foundation for a fully developed India with special focus on the northeastern states.
Addressing a gathering in Guwahati, Chouhan said the Union Budget should not be seen merely as a document of numbers but as a roadmap that gives wings to the aspirations of 140 crore Indians.
"Today, Assam and the entire Northeast are writing a new chapter of development. Today, I have come before you especially to discuss the Union Budget that has just been presented. This budget is not just a document of figures. It works to open the sky high for the dreams of 140 crore Indians to take a new flight," he said.
Chouhan said the budget opens new avenues of progress for India, Assam and the entire Northeast, adding that it has been designed to benefit "every section of society and every caste".
"It opens the doors of progress and development of India, Assam and the North East. Friends, this budget is for every section of society, every caste. There is a blueprint to strengthen every state, and especially the North-East. In this budget, I am happy to say that we have to make a strong roadmap for the future of India. The complete plan for a fully developed India has been prepared," Chouhan added.
Taking a sharp dig at the Congress, the Union Minister alleged, "For decades, Congress has considered the North-East and especially Assam as its vote bank. It had become a political laboratory."
Sharpening his attacks, Shivraj Chouhan said it pained him to see that the Congress kept Assam and the entire North East "underdeveloped" and "unstable".
"I am pained to say that for years, the misrule of Congress kept Assam and the entire North East underdeveloped and unstable. Assam, the identity of the Northeast, was also full of instability and unrest. Congress committed one more sin: it made Assam a stronghold of infiltrators. The Congress played tricks with the culture, values, traditions, identity and self-respect of Assam," he said.
Highlighting the state's cultural and natural richness, Chouhan said Assam holds a unique place in India because of its religious, cultural, and ecological heritage.
He credited PM Modi with mainstreaming development in the Northeast, calling it the "Ashtalakshmi" region.
"I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He called the entire Northeast as Ashtalakshmi. The eight states which are in our Northeast and under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the development of the Northeast has gained both speed and direction," he said.
Meanwhile, the Union Budget 2026-27 has strengthened the Centre-Assam partnership through higher capital investment, tax devolution, grants, and welfare schemes.
According to the Ministry of Finance, a significant component of this support continues through the Scheme of Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure (SASCI), under which Assam is receiving 50-year interest-free loans from the Centre for creation of durable infrastructure.
These loans are beyond the recommendations of the Finance Commission. Between FY 2020-26 (up to January 12, 2026), Assam has received Rs 17,104 crore under SASCI, enabling large-scale infrastructure and asset creation.
The Ministry further stated that, overall, central transfers to Assam have increased substantially under successive Union Budgets. For FY 2026-27, Rs 49,725 crore has been budgeted towards tax devolution, while Rs 29,548 crore has been provided as grants-in-aid for FY 2025-26. Since 2014, Assam has received approximately Rs 3.12 lakh crore through tax devolution and Rs 2.49 lakh crore as grants-in-aid, reflecting the Centre's sustained fiscal support.
As of January 2026, over 2.55 crore Jan Dhan accounts have strengthened financial inclusion in the State, while social security coverage has expanded through 58 lakh enrolments under PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and 1.45 crore enrolments under PM Suraksha Bima Yojana and 2 lakh crore subscribers for Atal Pension Yojana, it said. (ANI)