Indian Air Force AN-32 transport aircraft crashes at Jorhat Air Force Station in Assam

The Assam government on Friday presented a

₹2,85,084 crore budget for the 2026-27 financial year, proposing to raise tax exemption limit for small tea growers by four times and cut VAT on piped natural gas by almost 10 percentage points.Presenting his maiden Budget, BJP leader and state Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah also announced the continuance of all the major schemes rolled out during the last five years, news agency PTI reported.Baruah said those practising polygamy will not be eligible for any benefits and government staff found guilty of this practice will face dismissal.Proposing a 'green cess' on polluting sectors, the government announced that two lakh people will be recruited over five years by filling existing vacancies and creating new posts across various departments.A fiscal deficit of 3 per centWith a deficit of

₹419.26 crore, Baruah tabled a

₹2,85,084.45 crore budget and aimed a fiscal deficit of 3 per cent of the state's projected GSDP."To provide relief to small tea growers, I propose to enhance the agricultural income tax exemption threshold from

₹2.5 lakh to

₹10 lakh of annual agricultural income," he added.At the same time, the tax will be restored for larger assessees with effect from April 1, 2026, and the additional revenue generated shall be dedicated exclusively to the welfare of tea garden communities, Baruah said.He said orthodox tea production has increased from 4.39 crore kg in 2021-22 to nearly 8 crore kg in 2025-26, recording a strong growth of over 80 per cent in four years."Assam has taken a significant step towards value addition in the tea sector with the successful production of premium Matcha tea. The first lot was sold through the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre at nearly

₹3,000 per kg," the minister said.To further incentivise value addition and boost Assam Tea exports, Matcha tea shall be included within the eligible category of orthodox and specialty tea, he added."The production subsidy for orthodox and specialty tea will be enhanced from

₹10 per kg to

₹15 per kg," he added."Further, a new subsidy of

₹3 per kg will be introduced for export-oriented and premium-quality Assam CTC tea that is exported directly through recognised export channels, contributing to the foreign exchange earnings," Baruah said.According to the budget document, the government is committed to expand clean and affordable energy across Assam, as piped natural gas networks are being developed in key areas like Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Darrang, Baksa, Kokrajhar, Nagaon and the Barak Valley."To reduce household energy costs, promote cleaner fuel and support city gas expansion, I propose to reduce VAT on piped natural gas from 14.5 per cent to 5 per cent," it added.Over 13,500 domestic piped gas connections have already been provided, along with 46 CNG stations across the state, the Budget mentioned.During his budget speech, Baruah said welfare measures should not only reach the deserving but also enforce "inclusivity, integrity and moral ethos" in society."To promote women's empowerment and gender justice, any male practising polygamy shall not be eligible to avail benefits under any government welfare scheme," he added.The budget proposed amending the Assam Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1964, to dismiss from service any government servant practised polygamy."To promote integrity and responsible citizenship, I propose that any person convicted of an offence under any criminal law shall not be eligible to avail benefits under notified government welfare schemes," Baruah said.Since a regular budget was not available during the election held earlier this year, the government shall resume the basket of welfare schemes from August onwards, he added."The august House will appreciate the introduction of unprecedented basket of welfare schemes by our government covering various levels of beneficiaries. I propose to allocate over

₹6,000 crore under different grants for these welfare scheme

The B-52 is typically operated by a crew of five and is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons. It has a combat range of up to 8,800 miles and has been deployed in multiple conflicts, including Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and recent operations in the Middle East.Video from the area showed a large plume of thick black smoke rising from the desert near the base. (Image: X) A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday (June 15) at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert, triggering an emergency response and temporary suspension of flight operations, officials said.Edwards Air Force Base confirmed the incident on social media, saying the aircraft went down around 11:20 a.m. local time.“A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff on the Edwards airfield at 11:20 am,” the base said in a statement posted on Facebook.It added that emergency teams were immediately deployed to the crash site and that operations were ongoing.Emergency response underwayThe Air Force said responders rushed to the scene immediately after the crash, but there was no immediate confirmation on casualties or the condition of the crew.Officials also said the airfield was shut down shortly after the incident, with all inbound aircraft diverted as precautionary measures.Video from the area showed a large plume of thick black smoke rising from the desert near the base.By early afternoon, non-commercial visitor access to the base was suspended to allow emergency crews to focus on containment and response operations.Strategic bomber involvedThe aircraft involved was identified as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, a long-range strategic bomber that has been in service since the 1950s.The B-52 is typically operated by a crew of five and is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons. It can carry a payload of around 70,000 pounds, including conventional bombs, precision-guided munitions, cruise missiles, and nuclear weapons. It has a combat range of up to 8,800 miles and has been deployed in multiple conflicts, including Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and recent operations in the Middle East.Edwards Air Force Base operationsEdwards Air Force Base, located about 60 miles north of Los Angeles, is a key US Air Force testing and development facility.The base, operated by the 412th Test Wing, conducts evaluation of aircraft, weapons systems, and defense technologies throughout their lifecycle. It is also historically significant as the site where pilot Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier in 1947.Investigation expectedAuthorities have not yet released details on what caused the crash or whether there were any fatalities or injuries. An investigation is expected as emergency operations continue at the site.Stay updated with the latest Trending,

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Railway services on the outskirts of Patna were disrupted after a large group of youths gathered on the tracks late Saturday night, prompting police to resort to tear gas and a lathi-charge to restore order, a senior official said on Sunday.According to Amresh Kumar, Inspector General of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) for the East Central Zone, which covers a substantial part of Bihar, the unrest began around midnight at Pataliputra railway station. More than 200 young men, claiming to be candidates appearing for a competitive examination, assembled at the station and protested over the alleged shortage of trains."Trains had been ferrying students to various parts of the state for the exams of the Excise Department scheduled on Sunday. The troublemakers alleged that arrangements were inadequate and squatted on the tracks, demanding a special train that could help them reach their destination in time," the IG said.Kumar said railway authorities were alerted about the unexpected crowd, following which a special train was arranged and reached the station at around 2 am. Despite the additional service, the protesters, who had occupied the railway tracks, refused to leave.When security personnel attempted to clear the tracks and restore rail movement, some members of the crowd allegedly began pelting stones at the police, triggering a confrontation.To bring the situation under control and disperse the protesters, police used tear gas shells and carried out a lathi-charge."Normalcy was restored at the station, where tight security arrangements are in place, by 3 am. Though, as a last resort, we had to order lathi-charge and firing of tear gas shells," he added."It appears that many of the young men at the station were anti-social elements who actually wanted to foment trouble so that the exams would get cancelled. Their antics affected traffic on the station where two passenger and a goods train remained stranded for hours. Other trains which had to pass through Pataliputra station, were run on alternative routes till normalcy was restored," the IG said.The official added that the RPF and the Government Railway Police (GRP) have coordinated with the Patna Police to identify those responsible for the disturbance and damage to railway property. CCTV footage from the station will be examined as part of the investigation to trace individuals involved in the violence and vandalism.Patna Zone IG Jitendra Rana told reporters: "Yes, we are in touch with GRP and Railway officials and an FIR will be lodged in connection with the incident. Those involved are being identified with help of CCTV footage and they will be brought to book."Meanwhile, when Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav was asked about the incident, he said: "It is unfortunate that such an incident took place on the eve of a competitive exam. Youngsters, too, should be mindful of decorum (maryada)."About the AuthorLivemintFor about a decade, Livemint—News Desk has been a credible source for authentic and timely news, and well-researched analysis on national news, business, personal finance, corporates, politics and geopolitics. We bring the latest updates on all the listed companies on BSE and NSE, startups, mutual funds, Union ministries, geopolitics, and untapped human interest stories from around the world, helping our readers to stay informed on the latest developments around the globe. Our Coverage Areas 1. Companies: Comprehensive news and analysis on listed and unlisted companies, corporate announcements, corporate chatter, C-suite, business trends, hiring alerts, layoffs, work-life balance, world's top billionaires and richest and more. 2. Personal finance: Insights into mutual funds, small savings schemes like - PPF, SSY, post office savings scheme, stock to watch, personal loans, credit cards, top bank FDs, real estate, income tax and more. 3. Politics: Comprehensive coverage of general elections, state elections and bypolls, Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha,

LivemintFor about a decade, Livemint—News Desk has been a credible source for authentic and timely news, and well-researched analysis on national news, business, personal finance, corporates, politics and geopolitics. We bring the latest updates on all the listed companies on BSE and NSE, startups, mutual funds, Union ministries, geopolitics, and untapped human interest stories from around the world, helping our readers to stay informed on the latest developments around the globe. Our Coverage Areas 1. Companies: Comprehensive news and analysis on listed and unlisted companies, corporate announcements, corporate chatter, C-suite, business trends, hiring alerts, layoffs, work-life balance, world's top billionaires and richest and more. 2. Personal finance: Insights into mutual funds, small savings schemes like - PPF, SSY, post office savings scheme, stock to watch, personal loans, credit cards, top bank FDs, real estate, income tax and more. 3. Politics: Comprehensive coverage of general elections, state elections and bypolls, Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, Parliament, PMO, PIB, finance ministry, home ministry, among other union ministries and government departments. 4. National News: From metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and e to untapped stories from rural India, we cover human interest, health, education, crime and courts, and law and order, among other areas of public interest. 5. Economy: In-depth analysis of India's macro and micro-economic indicators like- GDP, inflation, forex, fiscal deficit, current account deficit, interest rate cycle, economic recovery, RBI circulars, indirect taxes, GST, Insolvency and Bankruptcy imports, exports and everything that impacts Indian economy. 6. Geopolitics: Well-rounded and deeply researched coverage on US News, Oval Office European Union, Ukraine Russia War, middle-east crisis, royal families and global leaders like - Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping and premiers of other leading economies in the world. Meet the Team 1. Gulam Jeelani, Political Affairs Editor 2. Sugam Singhal, Senior Assistant Editor 3. Chanchal, Assistant Editor 4. Sanchari Ghosh, Chief Content Producer 5. Pratik Prashant Mukane, Chief Content Producer 6. Sayantani Biswas, Chief Content Producer 7. Ravi Hari, Deputy Chief Content Producer 8. Garvit Bhirani, Deputy Chief Content Producer 9. Akriti Anand, Senior Content Producer 10. Jocelyn Felix Fernandes, Senior Content Producer 11. Swastika Das Sharma, Content Producer 12. Mausam Jha, Content Producer 13. Riya R Alex, Trainee Content Producer