The Assam government is preparing to raise another Rs 1,000 crore through the auction of government securities on November 9. The state Finance Department has submitted a proposal to the Reserve Bank of India for the proposed borrowing.
The fresh borrowing comes less than a fortnight after the government raised Rs 1,000 crore on October 27. Assam had also borrowed Rs 3,100 crore in September and Rs 2,000 crore in October.
Expenditure on welfare schemes continues to be a major component of the state's financial commitments. The monthly expenditure on the Orunodoi scheme is reported to exceed Rs 450 crore. The Nijut Babu and Nijut Moina schemes together account for around Rs 100 crore in monthly expenditure.
The state's outstanding debt has also increased considerably over the years. Available figures show that Assam's total debt stood at around Rs 41,964 crore in March 2016. It rose to Rs 89,709 crore during the tenure of the Sarbananda Sonowal government.
By March 2025, the state's debt had reached Rs 1,77,983 crore. The latest reported figure puts Assam's outstanding debt at approximately Rs 2.13 lakh crore, with per capita debt estimated at around Rs 42,500.
The rising debt burden has drawn criticism from opposition parties and several organisations. The state government, however, maintains that borrowing is necessary to fund infrastructure development, welfare programmes and investment-related activities.
