Assam Clears Rs 50,000-Crore Package For Women, Health, Roads, Schools

The Assam Cabinet has cleared the framework for implementing the Rs 50,000-crore development package announced by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Independence Day. A substantial part of the package will go towards public infrastructure.

The government has set aside around Rs 700 crore for upgrading nearly 1,000 high schools across Assam. The plan also provides for about 6,000 new Anganwadi centres, aimed at replacing older centres and improving the facilities available to children and mothers.

Of the total amount, around Rs 30,000 crore is proposed to be mobilised through NABARD funding. The remaining Rs 20,000 crore is expected to come from the state government's own resources, mainly through higher revenue collection.

Several constituency-level projects are part of the package as well. The government plans to set up two markets focused on women in every Assembly constituency. It has also proposed a stadium in each constituency, along with additional stadiums at the district level.

Auditoriums are also proposed in every Assembly constituency. The package will also cover the government's earlier announcement of providing Rs 1.5 lakh for the construction of houses for tea garden workers. The projects under the package are expected to start from 2027 and will be taken up in phases over seven years, with the programme extending up to 2034.

As part of the financing arrangement, the Cabinet approved a Memorandum of Understanding with NABARD for funding the development programme. The seven-year package is expected to bring together projects in education, social infrastructure, sports, housing and other public facilities, with implementation beginning in 2027.