Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev speaks out on Union Budget, Advantage Assam

Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev has criticised the Union Budget and raised concerns over the Advantage Assam 2 initiative. Addressing a press conference at the Trinamool Congress party office in Silchar on Sunday (March 2), she questioned the BJP-led government’s claims of economic benefits for the middle class and the effectiveness of the state’s investment policies.

Speaking on the Union Budget, All India Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev pointed out that the Indian government has announced a tax rebate of ₹80,000 per year for individuals earning up to ₹12 lakh annually. This translates to a benefit of ₹6,666 per month. However, she dismissed the significance of this rebate, stating, “Since the Modi government came to power, the prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed. Given the inflation, this ₹6,500 monthly relief will make little difference to the middle class.”

She also criticised the ruling party leaders and ministers for celebrating this decision, arguing that the rebate fails to address the larger economic struggles faced by common people.

While not directly opposing Advantage Assam 2, an initiative launched by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Dev raised several concerns about its implementation. She reminded that in 2018, under then Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Advantage Assam 1 was introduced with the promise of attracting investments and generating employment. However, she demanded that the BJP government provide a detailed report on the actual projects executed under the scheme over the last seven years.

“Back then, it was loudly proclaimed that Reliance Industries would invest in the state and create 80,000 jobs. But in reality, all we got were a few petrol pumps and some mobile stores,” she said. Questioning the potential impact of Advantage Assam 2, she remarked, “If this was the achievement of Advantage Assam 1, then by the time we realise what Advantage Assam 2 will bring, the Assembly elections will be over.”

Dev also raised concerns over the closure of an industrial unit in Barak Valley, where the government plans to construct a technology park on 20 acres of land and a private university elsewhere. She questioned the government’s commitment to local employment, asking how many local residents would actually get jobs from these projects.

The Trinamool MP also questioned the ₹25,000 crore road project sanctioned by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. She alleged that the highway could have been approved five years ago but was delayed. She further claimed that the project was sanctioned not for public benefit but under pressure from a cement company in Meghalaya.

With her sharp remarks, Sushmita Dev has once again positioned herself as a strong critic of the BJP government, raising key questions about the economic and industrial policies affecting Assam.