Assam’s GSDP will beat Punjab in 3 years: Himanta Biswa Sarma

GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday pledged in the assembly that the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) will surpass that of Punjab in the next three years to reach the 16th position in national rankings.
Replying to the governor’s address in the house, Sarma said, “We are maintaining a debt-to-GDP ratio at 23% and we are riding a solid economy. Till last year, we were dependent on central assistance to pay salaries to our employees. Now, we can pay salary to our employees on our own on the first day of every month. We are paying DA on a par with the central government.”
“In terms of gross state domestic product ranking, Assam is currently in 17th position and Punjab is 16th. We have overtaken Chattisgarh and Chandigarh and now we are chasing Punjab.”
“Punjab today is around Rs 6.8 lakh crore and well be Rs 5.5 lakh crore. In three years, Assam’s GDP will surpass that of Punjab. Give me three years and we will surpass Punjab,” Sarma said.
Playing down the opposition’s criticism that the government has been borrowing heavily, Sarma said its debts were nearly 10% below the RBI-permitted levels.
“Taking loan does not mean weakness. It means that a person who gets the loan is able to repay it on time. All Congress-ruled states are faring poorer than us in availing loans and repaying them. This is the factual status of Assam,” he said.
State budget:
CM Sarma said the state government indicated that the state budget, which will be presented in the house by finance minister Ajanta Neog on Thursday, will have a mega self-employment scheme.He also indicated that major schemes for poverty alleviation, like health insurance and housing projects, will also feature in the budget.
“Our aim is to fight against poverty from all corners. From providing ration cards to health insurance to housing schemes to electrification projects, we are constantly evolving multiple strategies to confront poverty. These measures will get reflected in the state budget tomorrow,” Sarma said in the assembly. In a major step towards development of the state, the government will complete providing one lakh jobs to unemployed youths by May this year, as promised before the elections, the chief minister said.