Six NE States Post Surplus, Assam and Meghalaya in Red

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Shillong
• Sep 23, 2025
• 619

Assam and Meghalaya were the only two northeastern states to post revenue deficits in FY 2022-23, according to a first-of-its-kind decadal study on state finances released by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.

Assam’s deficit stood at ₹12,072 crore, while Meghalaya’s deficit was a much smaller ₹44 crore.

In contrast, six other northeastern states – Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim – recorded revenue surpluses despite low self-generation of revenue.

National Picture

Biggest deficit states: Andhra Pradesh (₹43,488 crore), Tamil Nadu (₹36,215 crore), Rajasthan (₹31,491 crore), West Bengal (₹27,295 crore) and Punjab (₹26,045 crore).

Top surplus states: Uttar Pradesh (₹37,000 crore), Gujarat (₹19,865 crore), Odisha (₹19,456 crore), Jharkhand (₹13,564 crore) and Karnataka (₹13,496 crore).

Revenue Generation Insights

Assam generates less than 40% of its revenue from its own tax and non-tax sources, placing it with Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and Meghalaya among low self-revenue states.

Across the northeast, own tax revenue is under 20% of total receipts, yet most states managed a surplus.

Borrowing Trends

Assam was among 11 states using debt to fund current expenditures instead of capital investment – alongside Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Rising State Debt

Combined debt of all 28 states ballooned from ₹17.57 lakh crore in 2013-14 to ₹59.60 lakh crore in 2022-23, nearly 23% of their combined GSDP.