Assam Budget 2019-20: Government allocates ₹300 crore for ‘one-tola gold to brides’

The Assam government has set aside ₹300 crore in its Budget 2019-20 for a scheme in which the government will offer one-tola gold to brides belonging to families with annual earnings of less than ₹5 lakh, state Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday while presenting a ₹1,193.04-crore deficit Budget.

He also introduced several other schemes, including rice at ₹1 per kilogram for the poor.

The gold scheme will also be applicable to the first two offsprings of a family and only in cases where the bride and the groom have both attained the legal age of 18 years and 21 years respectively which will be strictly enforced by verification of birth certificate and through medical examination, if required, Sarma said.

The Minister also announced waiver of hotel fees for students and some social security schemes to cover the young widows and 'divgyangs' and scholarship schemes for the higher education of girls from the minority communities.

The budget also announced Affordable Nutrition & Nourishment Assistance (ANNA) Yojana under which the government plans to provide rice at a further subsidized rate of Re 1 per kg instead for the benefit of 53 lakh households.

Giving details of the Affordable Nutrition & Nourishment Assistance (ANNA) Yojana, Sarma said the government will provide rice at a subsidized rate of Re 1 per kg instead of the present ₹3 per kg in order to further strengthen food security for our people.

He said that the scheme is expected to benefit 53 lakh households across the state and added the government will start the pilot implementation of ANNA Yojana from March, 2019.

"I am happy to announce that we shall give 'one tola gold', costing around ₹38,000 as on today, to brides belonging to all such communities (whose families' annual income is less ₹5 lakh) of our state where it is customary to provide gold at the time of wedding," Sarma said while presenting the budget.

"The government will provide free textbooks to students upto degree level (Arts, Science and Commerce) from the present level of Class XII," Sarma said.

"A subsidy of ₹700 per student per month to be paid for 10 months in a year, irrespective of their economic status, on the mess bills, for those students staying in the hostels of government, or provincialised colleges and universities," the minister said, adding the government will also provide battery operated 'e-bikes' to all girl students who secure 1st division or above in their higher secondary examinations.

"The government has decided to provide rice free of cost to 4 lakh families in the tea garden areas and 2 kg of sugar per month to the families of the tea garden workers," he said, adding that the government is launching a new scheme under which any woman, up to the age of 45 years, who loses her husband, will receive an amount of ₹25,000 as 'Immediate Family Assistance'.

"In addition to the immediate assistance of ₹25,000, for regular maintenance expenses, the widow will also be eligible for a monthly pension of ₹250 until she attains the age of 60 years, post which, she will be moved to the old age pension scheme," said Sarma.

He said that the government has earmarked ₹200 crore for scholarships to girl students of minority communities for higher education and announced the government has decided to establish a Development Corporation for the Indigenous Muslims which will take up various programmes for their development.