Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Gaurav Gogoi on today criticised the Assam government led by Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, saying that most welfare schemes launched by the ruling party fail to ensure real economic empowerment of the people. He was speaking at a press conference held in Tinsukia.
Gogoi said that the present government has only focused on turning women and poor families into beneficiaries of financial aid schemes, instead of helping them become self-reliant. Referring to the announcement of ₹1,500 assistance for temple attendants, he said that no serious plan has been made to make sattras economically independent in the long term. He added that real development cannot come from short-term financial benefits alone.
According to the APCC President, similar beneficiary-based schemes like Arunodoi exist across many states in India. What Assam truly needs, he said, are programmes that help common people earn their own income. He recalled that during earlier Congress governments, more attention was given to economic empowerment, including support to sattras so that many of them could sustain themselves. 
Gogoi also said that if the Congress returns to power, it will study the problems faced by women and design new schemes aimed at genuine empowerment. Only when schemes address deeper economic issues, he said, will people see real change in their lives.
He further criticised the Chief Minister for making only small increases in pensions and women-oriented schemes, while project costs rise sharply when handed over to a few selected contractors. Gogoi alleged that such practices widen the gap between the rich and the poor, with only a small section becoming increasingly wealthy.
The Congress leader also raised concern over the state of higher education in Assam. He pointed to recent unrest at Tezpur University and said that during the Congress period, the university was recognised as one of the leading institutions in Asia. He alleged that today, even though the government speaks about financial support for students, the education system itself has weakened.
Gogoi remarked that higher educational institutions across Assam and the Northeast are facing serious problems. He referred to the situations at Gauhati University, Dibrugarh University and NEHU in Shillong. He said that appointing people close to the ruling party instead of focusing on merit will harm the future of education in the country.
He also accused the Chief Minister of misleading the public regarding the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status demand of six communities. Gogoi said the government first celebrated the submission of a ministerial report as a major step, only to later admit that ST status would not be granted before the Assembly elections.
Looking ahead to the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, Gogoi said that this year’s contest will be highly interesting and politically significant. He said that the people of Assam will send a strong message to the country by standing up against what he called an arrogant and corrupt administration. According to him, the BJP will not be able to mislead the conscious people of the state.
