Kolkata:
Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta on Monday presented the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s first budget. In his budget speech, the finance minister pledged to fill up 1 lakh government vacancies in the state and said that 33 per cent of them will be reserved for women. He also said that the government will raise the Dearness Allowance (DA) by 20 per cent, bringing it to 38 per cent.ย The new DA will be effective from October 1, 2026.ย One of theย biggest highlights of the budget was the allocation of Rs 36,000 crore for the women’s financial assistance scheme Annapurna Yojna. Additionally, travel onย government buses will now be completely free for women in the state. To ensure this, special pink cards will be made available.
“Our govt’s mission is to restore the state’s glory, build Viksit Bengal as part of Viksit Bharat. Our govt inherited Rs 8.15 lakh crore debt as legacy…We will continue with all existing social welfare schemes,” Finance Minister said in his budget speech.
Dasgupta presented the 2026-27 budget of the government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, nearly two months after the BJP’s victory ended 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule in the state.
Let’s have a look at the major announcements made by the Finance Minister:ย
- West Bengal govt to identify 1,000 acres in Kalyani for greenfield airport to reduce passenger congestion at Kolkata airport.
- The annual MLA Local Area Development Fund has been increased from Rs 70 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
- Purulia, Balurghat, Malda to get new airports under Centre’s UDAAN scheme, Cooch Behar airport to be expanded.
- The government is to fill 20,000 police posts in the state.
- An integrated deep-sea port is to be set up at Dadanpatrabarh in Purba Medinipur.
- Govt to fill 50,000 teaching posts, raise monthly salaries of civic police, home guards, green police by Rs 2,000.
- Every sub-division in Bengal to have a women’s police station; each police station to have a women’s help desk.
- Retired journalists to get Rs 5,000 monthly pension; those who were in jail due to political reasons to get Rs 10,000 per month.
- Durga Suraksha Squads, consisting of women police personnel, will be deployed to patrol busy city areas and public places.
- The state will launch a dedicated Bengal AI Mission to promote technology, innovation and digital growth.
- Govt allocates Rs 900 crore for Chingrighata-New Town elevated corridor, Rs 1,200 crore for new bridge over Bhagirathi river.
- New IIT, IIM to be set up in North Bengal.
- Sports university to be set up; north Bengal to get new stadium; clubs taking part in national games to get Rs 1 crore each.ย
- Mid-day meal allocation for each student to be raised to Rs 10, ISKCON to assist in food preparation, distribution.
- Anganwadi-Asha workers’ wages to be increased by Rs 5,000; monthly remuneration of mid-day meal cooks to be raised by Rs 1,000.
- Salaries of para-teachers in state-run schools to be raised by Rs 5,000 per month.
- The budget also earmarked Rs 550 crore for free bus travel for women.
- Civic volunteers, Green Police personnel, NVF workers, Prani Bandhu and Prani Mitra workers will receive an additional Rs 2,000 per month from August.
- The government also increased allocations for the 125-day VB G-Ram-G scheme and announced the addition of 25 lakh new beneficiaries.
- The budget also proposed an elevated corridor between Chingrighata and New Town in Kolkata, a deep-sea port at Dadanpatrabar, a four-lane bridge over the Mayurakshi river in Birbhum and a study for metro rail projects in Durgapur, Asansol and Siliguri.
- A Tribal University will be established in Jhargram, while an Artificial Intelligence Mission will be launched to promote emerging technologies and innovation in the state.
- Special facilities, including free charging points and drinking water arrangements, will be created for gig workers.
- The government has proposed a global tourism branding campaign centered on Durga Puja. Plans have also been announced for the preservation and promotion of key pilgrimage and heritage sites, including Kankalitala, Kalighat Temple, Tarapith Temple, and Madan Mohan Temple.
- The budget also proposes the development of a Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu pilgrimage circuit and a Shakti Peeth circuit. In addition, Darjeeling will be developed as an eco-adventure tourism destination, while a tiger safari is planned at Jhargram Zoo.
- The government announced that no liquor shop licence will be granted within one kilometre of a school. In the area under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the minimum distance requirement will be 500 metres from a school for the issuance of a liquor licence.
- July 6, the birth anniversary of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, will be observed as a state government holiday. The government also announced the preservation of his ancestral home at Zirat. An allocation of Rs 200 crore has been proposed for the development of a library, park, and memorial complex in his honour.
- In a major announcement for women entrepreneurs, the government has proposed financial assistance for homemakers who wish to start cloud kitchen businesses, aimed at encouraging self-employment and small-scale entrepreneurship.
- Women’s universities will be set up in Contai, Kaliachak, and Falta. Sanitary vending machines will also be installed in all schools.
- Two Kendriya Vidyalayas will be established in Jhargram, along with a Tribal University aimed at expanding higher education opportunities in the region.
- The Finance Minister announced plans for another new airport near Kolkata to strengthen the state’s aviation infrastructure and improve regional connectivity.
- The budget proposes the establishment of an AIIMS and an IIT in North Bengal, aiming to strengthen the region’s healthcare and higher education infrastructure.
- New medical colleges are proposed in Kalimpong and Dakshin Dinajpur. Hospitals in Haripal, Bamangola, and Digha will be modernised and upgraded. The government also plans to arrange accommodation on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for patients and their families travelling to cities such as Mumbai and Vellore for medical treatment.
- The government announced an annual financial assistance of Rs 3,000 for farming families to purchase seeds. Subsidies on electricity will be provided for the use of submersible pumps. The Annapurna Income Protection Scheme will also be introduced. Cold storage facilities will be built for potato farmers, while flower cultivation clusters will be developed in Howrah, Nadia, and Purba Medinipur.
- A 60-kilometre embankment will be constructed in the Sundarbans at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore to strengthen flood protection and safeguard vulnerable coastal areas.
- The state government will introduce a new Startup Policy. Two dedicated funds worth Rs 40 crore and Rs 60 crore respectively will be created, taking the total allocation for startup promotion to Rs 100 crore.
- The budget proposes the revival of the historic Calcutta Stock Exchange, with plans aimed at restoring its role in the financial sector and boosting investment activities in the state.
- The Ghatal Master Plan will be implemented with assistance from the Central Government. The Finance Minister announced an allocation of โน1,200 crore for the long-pending flood management and infrastructure project.
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