Guwahati, March 19: The Assam budget has drawn flak from the unlikeliest of quarters. A section of mandarins in the finance department itself is echoing the Opposition in describing it as “directionless and pro-rich”.

An integral part of the budget-making process, these officials feel that the Congress-led government has let down the aam aadmi (common man).

On March 12, chief minister Tarun Gogoi presented a Rs 2,836-crore deficit budget. He also fixed revenue collection at Rs 3,600 crore, but refrained from announcing sops for industry.

Dispur decided to wait for the North East Industrial Policy, scheduled to be announced on March 31, when it will fine-tune its package.

However, this line of thinking has very few takers inside and outside the government, with most critics even dubbing the budget pro-rich.

“An analysis of the budget gives an impression that it is for the rich. Dispur says the rise in prices of essential commodities has been caused by the hike in railway freight charges by around 11 per cent, to 36 per cent. But did it take up the issue with the railway ministry along with the other northeastern states for a review or for subsidising freight to the region? There are Congress-led governments, both at Delhi and Dispur, but there appears to be a big communication gap,” a department mandarin observed.

The budget session of the Assembly is currently in progress. The budget is yet to be passed.

The officials went on to pick more holes in the budget proposals by complaining that the tourism sector, a major source of employment, has not been accorded enough importance.

“Tourism as a service industry is growing all over the world, but Assam is still lagging behind owing to the absence of political will,” one of them pointed out.

The other area of concern was Dispur’s virtual refusal to act on enhancement of excise duty to Rs 600 per metric tonne on cement, the maximum retail price (MRP) of which is higher than Rs 190 per bag.

The MRP of cement in Assam is mostly above Rs 190 per bag and this proposal will hit the state hard.

The bureaucrats complain that though there are plans for preserving horticultural and agricultural items produced by farmers, “without basic infrastructure like cold storage chains, this dream of the government will not be fulfilled.

“Dispur should have removed taxes on foodgrains, onions, potatoes, bamboo and betel nuts to benefit the common man.

Instead, it has reduced taxes on bitumen, dry fruits and jewellery, which will benefit only the rich,” the source said.