Tax devolution: Assam gets Rs 3,552 crore in Centre's extra instalment

The Centre on Saturday released an extra instalment of tax devolution worth Rs 1,09,019 crore to the states, and the eight North Eastern states together will get roughly Rs 8,600 crore of it, with Assam receiving the largest share in the region at Rs 3,552 crore.

The Ministry of Finance said in a statement issued through the Press Information Bureau that the money comes on top of the regular monthly devolution and is the second additional instalment released in the 2026-27 financial year.

Why the Centre released it now

According to the ministry, the advance release has been made ahead of the festive season so that states can speed up capital spending and meet their development and welfare expenditure. Tax devolution is the share of central taxes that the Union government passes on to the states under the formula set by the Finance Commission.

How much each North Eastern state gets

The state-wise figures, as reported by Highland Post from the ministry's release, are:

• Assam: Rs 3,552 crore
• Arunachal Pradesh: Rs 1,476 crore
• Tripura: Rs 699 crore
• Meghalaya: Rs 688 crore
• Manipur: Rs 682 crore
• Mizoram: Rs 615 crore
• Nagaland: Rs 524 crore
• Sikkim: Rs 365 crore

That adds up to Rs 8,601 crore for the region, or a little under 8 per cent of the total released on Saturday.

How the region compares

Uttar Pradesh received the biggest share in the country at Rs 19,208 crore, followed by Bihar (Rs 10,845 crore), Madhya Pradesh (Rs 8,010 crore), West Bengal (Rs 7,866 crore) and Maharashtra (Rs 7,022 crore). Sikkim, with Rs 365 crore, and Goa, with Rs 398 crore, received the smallest amounts.

The figures for the North East are broadly in line with the first advance instalment of the same size released in August, when Manipur received Rs 682 crore and Sikkim Rs 365 crore.

What it means for the states

Central tax transfers make up a large part of the revenue of most North Eastern states, which have a small tax base of their own and depend heavily on funds from the Centre. An early release gives state finance departments more room to clear bills, pay contractors and push infrastructure projects before the end of the working season.

For Assam, the transfer is the biggest in the region by a wide margin, reflecting its larger population and area under the Finance Commission formula. Arunachal Pradesh, with its large geographical area, receives the second-highest share among the eight states.

State governments are expected to announce how they plan to use the additional funds in the coming weeks.