Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: The Assam government is tightening the purse strings on its Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan program. A performance audit reveals that only 12,976 of the 25,277 beneficiaries from the 2023 rollout successfully qualified for second-phase funding. Industries Minister Bimal Borah confirmed the figures during a Friday press conference at Janata Bhawan. Those who failed the review will face a fresh reassessment before officials decide their future in the program.
The scheme, which launched on September 23, 2023, splits recipients into two distinct tiers. Professional beneficiaries like doctors, engineers, pharmacists, chartered accountants, and MBA graduates received 2.5 lakh rupees in the first round. Non-professional entrepreneurs took home 1 lakh rupees each. There were 221 professionals included in the initial cohort of 25,277 people.
Borah warned that state support depends on tangible results. He urged recipients to treat the initiative with seriousness and ensure that the funds are used for the intended purpose. The minister stated that beneficiaries who mishandle the cash face removal from Bihu committees. Banks will only release further subsidies and support once participants prove their business ventures are actually operating and showing progress.
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