West Bengal BJP Government Unveils First Budget: One Lakh Jobs, DA Hike, New Districts and Major Welfare Push

By Mahima Katal and Ajay Haldar

Kolkata, June 22: The BJP government in West Bengal on Monday presented its first state budget, announcing a wide-ranging package of welfare measures, employment generation initiatives, infrastructure projects and administrative reforms. The budget also proposed the creation of new districts, municipalities and subdivisions while promising fiscal discipline amid what the government described as a substantial debt burden inherited from the previous administration.

Presenting the budget in the Assembly, Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta said the state had inherited a debt burden of ₹8.15 lakh crore from the previous Trinamool Congress government and stressed the need for transparency, administrative reforms and responsible financial management.

"We are committed to building a corruption-free administration and restoring public trust in governance," Dasgupta said while announcing a citizen outreach programme titled Apnar Sarkar, Apnar Pashe.

DA Hike and One Lakh Government Jobs

In a major relief for state employees and pensioners, the government announced a 20-percentage-point increase in dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief from October 1, taking the total DA to 38 per cent and significantly narrowing the gap with central government employees.

The government also announced plans to recruit one lakh employees across departments in a phased manner. This includes 20,000 vacancies in the police force and 50,000 teaching and non-teaching positions in schools.

Thirty-three per cent of all new jobs will be reserved for women, while a 10 per cent quota will be provided for Agniveers wherever applicable. The existing five-year relaxation in the upper age limit for government recruitment will continue for another two years.

New Districts, Municipalities and Administrative Units

As part of a broader administrative restructuring plan, the government announced the formation of five new districts — Kolkata, Basirhat, Sundarban, Jangipur and Arambagh.

A new police district will be established in Kanthi, while Gopiballavpur will become a new subdivision.

The government also proposed the creation of new municipalities in Shibmandir, Chanchal, Gazole, Belda, Bagnan, Jaigaon, Kolaghat, Kamarpukur and Tungidighi.

New fire stations will be established in Hemtabad, Binachapra, Karandighi, Manikchak, Falta, Gitdabling (Lava block, Kalimpong district), Garhbeta, Chandipur and Kakdwip, while the Dali Fire Station in Darjeeling will be upgraded.

Welfare Schemes to Continue

Addressing concerns over the future of existing welfare programmes, the government assured that all ongoing social welfare schemes would continue.

The largest allocation of the budget, ₹36,000 crore, has been earmarked for the Annapurna Yojana, under which women aged between 25 and 60 years will receive direct financial assistance in their bank accounts.

An additional ₹550 crore has been allocated for free bus travel for women through a new Pink Card system.

The budget also introduced a new unemployment assistance scheme called Bharosa. Under the programme, unemployed graduates from families with annual incomes below ₹1 lakh will receive ₹3,000 per month, while other eligible unemployed persons will receive ₹2,000 per month.

Old-age, widow and disability pensions have been increased by ₹500 per month.

Support for Journalists and Frontline Workers

The government announced a monthly pension of ₹5,000 for retired journalists and ₹10,000 for individuals who were jailed in what it described as politically motivated or false cases.

Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers and para-teachers will receive an additional ₹5,000 per month, while mid-day meal cooks will get an extra ₹1,000 monthly.

Civic volunteers, Green Police personnel, NVF workers, Prani Bandhu and Prani Mitra workers will receive an additional ₹2,000 per month from August.

The annual MLA Local Area Development Fund has been increased from ₹70 lakh to ₹1 crore.

Health and Education Initiatives

The budget allocated ₹3,100 crore for implementing Ayushman Bharat in West Bengal, a move expected to benefit nearly seven crore residents.

The per-student allocation for mid-day meals has been increased to ₹10, with assistance from ISKCON in food preparation and distribution.

The government announced plans to establish a Tribal University, two Kendriya Vidyalayas in Jhargram, and women's universities in Contai, Kaliachak and Falta.

Students studying in government and government-aided colleges and preparing for competitive examinations will receive a one-time grant of ₹25,000.

The budget also proposed establishing an IIT and an IIM in north Bengal and launching a state-level Artificial Intelligence Mission.

Infrastructure and Connectivity Push

The government unveiled several major infrastructure projects, including ₹900 crore for the Chingrighata–New Town Elevated Corridor and ₹1,200 crore for a new bridge over the Bhagirathi River.

Plans were also announced for a deep-sea port at Dadanpatrabar, metro rail projects in Durgapur, Asansol and Siliguri, and a four-lane bridge over the Mayurakshi River in Birbhum.

To reduce congestion at Kolkata airport, the government will identify 1,000 acres of land in Kalyani for a greenfield airport. New airports have also been proposed in Purulia and Malda, while expansion plans are being considered for Hasimara and Kalaikunda airfields.

Additional allocations include ₹100 crore for communication infrastructure in the Sundarbans and ₹50 crore for riverbank protection and rehabilitation projects in the Jangipur region.

Coastal Tourism Expansion

The budget also announced the expansion of the jurisdiction of the Digha-Shankarpur Development Authority (DSDA)by incorporating adjoining mauzas from the Kanthi-I and Deshapran blocks.

According to the government, the move is aimed at accelerating coastal tourism development and creating new socio-economic opportunities in the region.

Sports and Regional Development

The government announced plans to establish a Sports University, an international-standard stadium in north Bengal and mini indoor stadiums across the state.

Sports clubs participating in national competitions will receive financial assistance of ₹1 crore each, while ₹20 crore has been allocated for Khelo India activities.

To support the tea industry in north Bengal, the minimum land requirement for commercial tea estates will be reduced from 30 acres to 15 acres.

The budget also proposed expanding the Maa Aahar programme through four additional urban centres offering subsidised fish-and-rice meals and extending the VBG-RAM G scheme to an additional 25 lakh beneficiaries.

The first budget presented by the BJP government in West Bengal places strong emphasis on employment generation, welfare expansion, infrastructure development, administrative restructuring and regional growth, while attempting to balance fiscal challenges inherited from the previous regime.