Assam India’s best fiscally managed state, RBI has certified it: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday, January 12 mounted a sharp counterattack against the Congress, dismissing allegations over Assam’s fiscal management and asserting that the state stands as the best fiscally managed and fastest-growing state in India, a claim he said is conclusively endorsed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Addressing criticism on Assam’s borrowing and financial health, the Chief Minister said it was the Congress that needed serious introspection on the issue of loans, pointing to what he described as unprecedented borrowing by the Congress-led Karnataka government. Sarma stated that Karnataka has accumulated loans worth Rs 92,000 crore, setting what he termed a “new record” in public borrowing.

Defending Assam’s financial discipline, the Chief Minister underlined that the state’s borrowings remain well within permissible limits and are undertaken strictly in accordance with fiscal norms. He questioned the basis of repeated allegations, arguing that no wrongdoing could exist if the RBI itself had formally validated Assam’s financial performance.

“If we had done something wrong, would the Reserve Bank of India have given us a certificate?” Sarma asked, asserting that Assam’s financial credentials have been independently vetted by the country’s apex banking institution.

Taking aim at a section of the media, the Chief Minister drew a contrast between the RBI’s assessment and contrary claims made by a regional daily. He said the RBI has ranked Assam number one in the country in terms of financial growth and development, while certain media reports have portrayed the state as lagging behind.

Sarma left it to the public to judge whether greater credibility should be accorded to the Reserve Bank of India or to media narratives questioning Assam’s fiscal standing, reiterating that official data and institutional validation firmly support the state government’s claims of robust financial governance.