Congress Critiques Assam Budget 2026-27 as Lacking Vision for Development

The Congress party has launched a fierce critique of the Assam Budget for 2026-27, branding it as a 'vote bank perpetuation Budget' that fails to address critical issues such as unemployment, inflation, and healthcare. Senior leaders, including Ripun Bora, argue that the Budget is overly reliant on Central funds and lacks a clear vision for the state's development. They highlight unfulfilled promises regarding job creation and the poor implementation of previous budgets. The critique also points to the neglect of essential services and the needs of various communities, raising concerns about the future of Assam's economy. This response has sparked discussions on the effectiveness of the current government's fiscal policies.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 11, 2026, 10:26 IST

Congress's Response to Assam Budget 2026-27

Former APCC chief & ex-minister Ripun Bora addressing press on Friday after budget (Photo- Assam Congress/X)

Guwahati, July 11: The Congress party has sharply criticized the Assam Budget for 2026-27, labeling it a 'vote bank perpetuation Budget' that fails to provide a comprehensive strategy for the state's development.

During a press briefing at Rajiv Bhawan following the Budget's presentation in the Assam Legislative Assembly, senior Congress officials claimed that the Budget overly depended on Central funding and neglected pressing issues like unemployment, inflation, flooding, erosion, agriculture, and healthcare.

Ripun Bora, the former president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and ex-minister, described the 117-page Budget as 'merely an essay' lacking in substantial proposals for Assam's progress. He pointed out that 69.68% of the state's resources would derive from central tax devolution, centrally sponsored initiatives, Finance Commission grants, and public debt, branding it a 'dependent' Budget.

Bora asserted that the Budget was designed to benefit specific groups for electoral purposes and did not include effective strategies to combat unemployment, inflation, flooding, and erosion. He referenced the Chief Minister's 2021 pledge to create one lakh jobs annually, which he claimed remains unfulfilled, and questioned the government's announcement of two lakh additional jobs without a clear plan for the 35 lakh registered unemployed individuals in Assam. He also noted that approximately 40% of last year's Budget had not been executed.

He highlighted the lack of specialist doctors in government hospitals, insufficient support for Anganwadi workers, and the poor state of Guwahati under the Smart City Mission.

Dr. Joy Prakash Das, Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, remarked that the Budget presented 'nothing new,' asserting that it overlooked rising prices and unemployment, despite claims of increased per capita income. He also mentioned the lack of clarity regarding initiatives for female students, minimum wages for tea garden laborers, and adequate attention to tourism sites like Majuli and Kaziranga.

Senior Congress figure and former minister Nilamani Sen Deka criticized it as one of the 'worst' Budgets for Assam's economy, alleging that it favored a select few industrialists while ignoring the needs of workers, farmers, women, and rural populations. Former MP Abdul Khaleque also brought attention to the numerous vacancies in various government sectors.