In his reaction to the last full budget of hisgovernment presented by Finance Minister Dr Himanta BiswaSarma on Friday, Sonowal welcomed the budget and said it willstimulate development and lend equal dignity, equal growth toall.
The budget will benefit all sections of people livingin all the 33 districts of Barak-Brahmaputra-hills and plains,Sonowal said.
The budget has provided steps to catapult social,economic, educational empowerment along with providing socialsecurity to all in the state, he said.
The opposition slammed the Assam Budget and termed itas an "election oriented one".
"The budget is aimed only for the elections next year.They have created a huge number of beneficiaries and did notaddress the basic problems of the state. The budget is just anelection gimmick by wasting public money, nothing else,"Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia told .
The state government had promised to give jobs to fivelakh youths every year, but the budget is silent on thisdespite the "unemployment rate rising every year", he added.
AIUDF MLA Rafiqul Islam said : "They provided rice,pulse and other freebies as if some relief are beingdistributed. It is purely an election oriented budget. Noinitiative has been taken in permanent asset creation."
On the government's proposal to give free electricityfor houses consuming less than 30 units, he said it shouldhave been 100 units "if they were really interested".
"Because 30 units is nothing and almost every houseconsumes more than that. They should have focussed on 24 hourselectricity supply," Islam said. ESB TR ESBRG RG