Budgetary hopes for Assam

Assam expects a rare dose of good news in the Union Budget to be tabled in Parliament on Saturday if what a cross section of the people told Assam Times a day before the Budget Day.

Ombeswar Bora, a retired school teacher told Assam Times that the Budget should clear the decks for completion of the Bogibeel Bridge on the river Brahmaputra within the next few days.

“NDA and UPA government at the Centre have been promising an early completion of the project. But they have been failing to deliver the goods. This time I hope the budget would clear the project,” said Bora from Lakhimpur.

The small tea growers have no less expectations this time from the Union Budget. Talking to Assam Times Jibeswar Moran said that the state government alone can’t do what we want.

“Let Arun Jaitley announce incentive for the small tea  growers for Assam. At least the Centre can set up some small tea factories to benefit the small tea growers. The state government has been promising it. But it has gone back to its words,” said G S Saikia from Golaghat.

“I hope the Narendra Modi government’s maiden full fledge budget will look into the farmers’ plight. We have been working without basic facilities. We need fund to bring a boomtime in this sector,” said Amal Dastidar from Jorhat who has been fighting for the cause of the farming community.

The housewifes also have lots of demand. These include slash in the prices of LPG and increase in the LPG cap. “We won’t support the new format. We further demand measures to rein in inflation. At least the government should roll back the price of sugar, mustard oil and onion,” said Aarati Das in Guwahati.   

The unemployed youths also have some expectations. Talking to Assam Times, Analjit Gogoi said in Guwahati that the budget should give priority on the small and medium scale industries which would help Assam address the unemployment problem.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday is all set to table the Union Budget for 2015-16. Sources told Assam Times that Jaitley is expected to announce a slew of measures to improve infrascture sector in the north east.