The 2021-22 Union budget tabled in Parliament on Monday has given a huge boost to the road and tea sectors in poll-bound Assam with the BJP-led state government thanking the BJP-led Centre for the “landmark allocation”.

Presenting the first ever digital Union budget, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed over Rs 34,000 crore to be allocated for 1,300 km of NHs to be undertaken in the next three years in Assam.

This is in addition to Rs 19,000 crore of work on national highways currently in progress in the state, she said.

Similarly, Rs 1,000 crore was proposed by for the welfare of tea workers, especially women and their children in Assam and West Bengal through a special scheme.

A senior NHIDCL official told The Telegraph that it is a massive infusion of funds in the road sector, which will help helping agencies such as his, the NHAI and the state PWD (National Highway Division) not only take up “mega” projects that will fill up “critical gaps” in surface transport.

According to him, with a funding of this scale district-to-district connectivity could be improved along with converting up two-lane highway into four land depending on traffic volume.

“Though we are yet to see details but it is undoubtedly a huge boost to the road sector,” he said.

The tea industry also hailed the budget proposal for the tea sector.

The Tea Association of India (TAI) is optimistic that the emphasis on ‘Health & Well Being’ and ‘Reinvigorating Human Capital’ that has been highlighted as six pillars of the Budget 2021 proposals would prove to be all inclusive and the industry would benefited by it, PK Bhattacharjee, TAI secretary-general, said in a statement.

Welcoming the provision of the special scheme for welfare and women and children in Assam and West Bengal, Bhattacharjee also said, “This holds promise for the residential women workers and their children which comprise more than 50 per cent of the labour force. The ‘Atamnirbhar Bharat Swasthiya Yojna’ is expected to offer medical succour to the tea gardens population as well.”

The push for road projects in Assam and West Bengal would provide infrastructural push in the state, particularly in the interiors of the respective states, he said.

The budget proposals have also given a “huge boost” to the ruling BJP in the state before the polls. “The budget allocation once again establishes the seriousness with which the Centre is focusing on the development of the northeast and Assam. This has nothing to do with election. In the last budget too there was a big push for infrastructure development,” state BJP chief spokesperson Rupam Goswami told The Telegraph.

The party has gone all out to retain power in the April-May Assembly polls, making development its key poll plank. Almost every day, one project or the other is being announced or inaugurated at massive public rallies besides laying of foundation stones of projects. The Rs 1000 crore for the welfare of women and children from the tea community will make it difficult for the BJP’s political rivals to woo the community which has decisively tilted towards the BJP since 2014.

The tea community has a decisive say in about 42 of the 126 constituencies in the state.

“The budget has once again underlined the importance the Centre gives to Assam and the northeast. A lot more development and welfare schemes can now be announced in the party’s poll manifesto with this kind of funding,” a BJP insider said.

Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the finance minister for making “landmark allocation” for improvement of road infrastructure and welfare of tea workers of the state. Allocating Rs 1,000 crore for the tea workers will have long-term impact on the healthcare, he said.

The Opposition Congress, however, was critical of the budget proposals. “So, the BJP government has made parliament the place to launch election manifestos for assembly elections. This Budget is nothing more than an election manifesto full of jumlas!” PCC chief Ripun Bora tweeted.

Congress legislature party leader Debabrata Saikia said, “ First and foremost its an election oriented budget. Announcements have been made targeting election bound states like Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.”

“For example BJP Govt had earlier announced minimum wage for tea garden workers at Rs 351/- but it has not yet been implemented. Scheduled Caste status for 6 communities, revival of the two paper mills remained promises on paper only,” Saikia said.