Himanta Biswa Sarma meets finance minister, praises budget, discusses state issues

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on July 24 to discuss the recent budget and its implications for Assam. Sarma praised the budget, calling it "exceptional" and highlighting its focus on jobs, youth empowerment, women's empowerment, and small businesses.

"This budget has an unprecedented focus on Jobs, Yuva Shakti, Nari Shakti and small businesses," Sarma stated in a series of tweets following the meeting.

The Chief Minister reported that Sitharaman reassured him of support for Assam's flood resilience efforts. He also noted potential benefits for the state from budget announcements related to MSMEs, skill development, and the digital economy.

Sarma expressed gratitude for the Special Assistance to States for Capex scheme and offered suggestions for its improvement. The Finance Minister reportedly agreed to consider these proposals positively.

Other topics discussed included expediting the settlement of royalty issues from Assam's hydrocarbon industries and improving capacity building in the state's chemical and hydrocarbon sectors.

"The Hon'ble Finance Minister was gracious to consider them positively," Sarma tweeted, referring to his suggestions on capacity building.