Census of indigenous Muslims will solve ‘identity crisis’: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the socio-economic census of indigenous Muslims will solve the problem of ‘identity’ that the community has faced since a long time in the state.

Presenting a Rs 1, 249.50-crore deficit budget, which is the last full budget of the maiden BJP-led government in Assam, Sarma said, “In the previous budget, I had discussed the creation of a development corporation for the indigenous Muslims of Assam. Necessary steps for its creation have now been initiated. As promised, we will provide Rs 100 crore in a phased manner once the corporation comes into existence. Our government has also initiated the socio-economic census of these communities on a war footing so that political, social and economic upliftment of these disadvantaged communities can be undertaken. This will also solve the problem of ‘identity’ that the Assamese Muslim community has faced since a long time.”Assam is going to assembly polls next year. The budget announced 18 populist schemes. It slashed 50 paise per litre sales tax on petrol and diesel. Tea estates are exempted from paying agricultural income tax for three years.

Sarma said Rs 2.5 lakh will be allocated to each of about 8,000 namghars (monasteries) across the state. A fund of Rs 50 crore has been allocated for strengthening the cultural traditions of various communities across the stateby creating an institutional structure.


In his two-and-a-half-hour long speech, Sarma said, “I would like to announce a monthly support of Rs 400 per family per month for procuring medicines. A sum of Rs 200 per family per month will be given to provide a 50% subsidy for the 4 kg of pulses a family consumes in a month.” The budget stated the medical and nutritional support will have a consolidated inflow of Rs 830 per month to a family, effectively meaning, an additional income of Rs10000 to poor households per annum. “We intend to cover about 27 lakh of our poor and economically backward families,” he said.

The budget promised free rice for all beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act. Sarma also announced free electricity to all households with monthly consumptions of less then 30 units. “ The state government will increase its shareholding in Numaligarh Refinery Ltd from 12.35% to 26%.”

Free bus services for women and senior citizens within Guwahati will also be introduced.