West Bengal Budget: Mamata govt allocates more funds for social welfare, women and govt employees in pre-poll year budget
The Hindu
West Bengal budget 2025-26: Focus on social welfare, infrastructure projects, and 4% DA hike for State government employees.
With a significant focus on social welfare schemes and allocating more funds for women, West Bengal Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya on Wednesday tabled a ₹3.89-lakh crore budget for the pre-poll financial year 2025-26.
The West Bengal government also tried to assuage the anger of the State government employees who are locked in legal tussle with it over dearness allowance (DA), by announcing a 4% hike in the allowance.
The major highlights of the budget included ₹1,500 crore allocation for the improvement of rural roads across the state under Pathasree scheme, ₹200 crore for Nodi Bandhan scheme to arrest river erosion based on hydrological models. Observing that it was “unfortunate” that Ghatal Masterplan has not been approved by Government of India, the budget allocated Rs 500 crore for a mega project to dredge riverbeds and strengthen embankments of at least 10 major rivers in the state.
The West Bengal government also allocated ₹200 crore for purchase of smart phones for about 70,000 ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) and Anganwadi workers. There was, however, no increase in the cash incentives given to women under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme in the budget.
On the infrastructure front, the budget sanctioned ₹500 crore for the construction of a 4.75 km-long bridge over the Ganga river to connect Sagar Island where Gangasagar Mela is held every year. The Finance Minister announced that a detailed project report (DPR) for Ganga Sagar Setu has already been completed and a tender process has been initiated.
Commenting on the last full budget before the State goes to polls in 2026, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the budget had a vision of creating “more and more employment in the State”. Ms. Banerjee said that half of the allocation made in the budget was for the interest of women and children.
“There are about 2.21 crore beneficiaries in the Lashmir Bhandar for which the allocation is ₹50,000 crore, the list of beneficiaries in Kanyashree Prakalpa (scholarship for school going girls) is about 1 crore and ₹15,000 crore has been allocated. Under the Sabuj Sathi scheme(distribution of bicycles to school going students) the number of beneficiaries is 1.26 crore students and allocation of ₹4,600 crore has been made,” the Chief Minister said.
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