How many poor people are there in Assam? In a state with a population of three crores, are 2.45 crore people classified as ‘poor’? The statistics presented in the budget by Finance Minister Ajanta Neog on Monday reveal this information. At the same time, the Finance Minister also claimed that Assam’s economic condition is sound, providing supporting statistics in her budget. In the ongoing financial year (2024-25), Assam’s economic growth rate has reportedly surpassed that of the national economy, with a Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of ₹6,43,667 crore. This figure was highlighted in the budget presented by Ajanta Neog for the upcoming financial year. According to the data provided by the Finance Minister, Assam’s GDP growth rate was 13%, whereas the national GDP growth rate for the financial year 2024-25 stood at 10%. There is no doubt that GDP, or Gross Domestic Product, reflects the economic health of a nation or state. From this perspective, Assam’s economic status appears not just remarkable but extraordinary, given its GDP of nearly ₹6.43 lakh crore.
However, a contradictory piece of information mentioned in the same budget has raised doubts about the real economic condition of Assam. In point number 23, the Finance Minister stated that the state government has successfully included 2.45 crore individuals under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PM-GKY). In terms of households, the government has covered over 70 lakh families under this poverty alleviation scheme. This data was also mentioned in the budget. This statistical revelation has sparked economic concerns among many. The question arises: does this mean that 2.45 crore people out of Assam’s 3 crore population are ‘poor’? Are more than 70% of the state’s households classified as ‘poor’?
The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana is a scheme designed specifically for the poor across the country. As per the scheme’s guidelines, it provides free rice to citizens living below the poverty line. The government has established official criteria to determine who falls below the poverty line, taking into account factors like per capita income and purchasing power. This scheme was implemented to ensure the sustenance of individuals identified as living below the poverty line.
In this context, the contradictory claims in Ajanta Neog’s budget have created confusion. If both sets of figures presented by the Finance Minister are accurate, then Assam has 2.45 crore poor people. At the same time, Assam’s economic condition is highly prosperous, as the Finance Minister has stated that the state’s GDP in the outgoing financial year was ₹6,43,667 crore. If both figures are correct, the logical conclusion would be that a small section of households in Assam holds the majority of the state’s wealth—similar to India’s overall economic situation, where a few families control a large share of the country’s wealth. This would imply that Assam’s economic structure suffers from the same inequality in wealth distribution as India’s national economy. If this is true, it raises serious concerns for the majority of Assam’s residents. The presence of 2.45 crore poor people indicates that the state’s collective economic progress is still far from reality. Moreover, this vast number of poor individuals could eventually become a significant burden on the state. The rising poverty rate due to uneven economic growth is a serious issue that needs attention.
However, if the government is using the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana as a means to secure assured votes by expanding the beneficiary base, it could be a warning sign for other political parties in the state. Some critics argue that the government has deliberately inflated the number of beneficiaries, including individuals who are not actually poor, to use the scheme as a tool for electoral gains. Opponents of the government claim that ruling parties often misuse welfare schemes to label even non-poor residents as ‘poor’ in order to expand the scheme’s coverage. However, proving this ‘theory’ is difficult. The Finance Minister, Ajanta Neog, has presented these statistics responsibly, and mere verbal arguments are insufficient to disprove the numbers she has officially stated.