Guwahati, Feb 16 (PTI) Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya said in the state assembly on Monday that the government has been working towards inclusive, responsible and region-balanced development, emphasising that progress is not measured only by intent but also by consistent action and delivery on the ground.
He said the government has been taking action against illegal foreigners, drugs, encroachment and corruption; and has been accelerating development and providing jobs.
Addressing the House on the first day of the Budget session, Acharya said the state has achieved considerable progress in internal security, law enforcement and justice delivery in the last five years.
This will be the last assembly session under the current government, with elections likely to be held in March-April.
The governor delivered his 40-minute speech amid a din as opposition MLAs raised slogans, displayed placards and squatted in the Well of the House for almost the entire duration.
He said 1,517 people, including declared foreign nationals, convicted foreign nationals and fresh illegal immigrants, have been deported or sent back from May 2021 to 2025.
The Immigration (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, has been enforced in the state, and from May 2021 to 2025, 59,757 cases have been disposed of by Foreigners’ Tribunals and 30,264 persons declared as foreigners.
The governor said the state has topped the list in the implementation of new criminal laws.
The total number of crimes saw a reduction by 72 per cent in 2025, when compared to 2021, with crimes against women dipping by 87 per cent during the same period. Crimes against children have also seen a decline, he said.
The state registered 14,503 cases under the NDPS Act between 2021 and November 2025, leading to over 23,000 arrests and seizure of drugs with an estimated market value exceeding Rs 2,900 crore.
Acharya also affirmed the government’s commitment to a child marriage-free Assam by 2026, with the incidence of marriage among girls aged under 18 years declining by 84 per cent and marriage of boys under 19 years of age dipping by 91 per cent between 2022-23 and 2024-25.
Acharya further said 1.45 lakh bighas (about 48,000 acres) of land have been cleared of eviction, including 1.1 lakh bighas (36,000 acres) of forest land, and 26,713 bighas (8,830 acres) of government khas land, along with land under VGR/PGR and other public categories.
Acharya said that since 2021, 240 successful trap operations have been conducted against government officials, leading to 294 arrests, including 272 public servants and 22 intermediaries. In the preceding decade, only 76 such operations had taken place.
The governor said boundary disputes have been settled with Meghalaya in six out of 12 identified areas of differences with a MoU signed in March 2022.
Under another MoU with Arunachal Pradesh signed in April 2023, 243.8 km of the agreed boundary has been taken up for survey and pillar fixation.
“Further, 140 strategic villages along the India-Bangladesh and India-Bhutan borders have been taken up under Vibrant Village Programme II, reinforcing both security and development objectives,” Acharya added.
Highlighting priority towards employment generation, the governor said that since 2021, 1.56 lakh government jobs have been provided, besides promoting entrepreneurship among youth and women.
The state’s economic trajectory has also reflected a steady expansion of productive activity across sectors, Acharya said, pointing out that Assam has emerged as the country’s fastest growing state as per the latest assessment of the Reserve Bank of India.
“Fiscal discipline and efficiency have also shown marked improvement with budget utilisation reaching approximately 85 per cent, with actual expenditure of about Rs 1.43 lakh crore in 2024-25,” he added.
The governor also elaborated on the progress made in critical infrastructure in health and education, road, railways and civil aviation connectivity, flood control and water resource management, reforms in the land revenue sector, strengthening cultural foundations, tourism, rural development and rural livelihoods, welfare of tea tribes and Adivasis, among other steps. PTI SSG SSG ACD
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