Guwahati, Assam – In a landmark achievement signaling a significant leap towards social justice, Assam has been recognized as the most socially equal state in India concerning consumption and purchasing power, according to recent data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
The groundbreaking revelation was enthusiastically acknowledged by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who credited the state’s remarkable progress to the enduring principles of social harmony championed by the revered saint and social reformer Srimanta Sankardev, specifically his vision of a ‘casteless society’.
Taking to his official X platform, Chief Minister Sarma expressed his elation, stating, “Thanks to His teachings, today we have the lowest consumption inequality as per GoIStats.” He further elaborated on the implications of the data, explaining, “In simple words, in Assam, a general category person and a person belonging to SC/ST/OBC have nearly the same purchasing power.”
The official statistics paint a compelling picture of this parity, with the purchasing power index for Scheduled Tribes (ST) standing at 1.00, for Scheduled Castes (SC) at 1.01, and for Other Backward Classes (OBC) at 0.99. These figures underscore the remarkably narrow gap in consumption patterns between individuals from general categories and those belonging to marginalized communities within Assam. This accomplishment has garnered significant praise and attention at the national level as a model for inclusive growth.
Notably, Assam stands alone at the zenith of this social equality index. While other states have made strides in this direction, the data positions Assam as the frontrunner, followed by West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu in the rankings.
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