West Bengal Budget

BJP's first West Bengal Budget focuses on infrastructure, industry

Swapan Dasgupta presents a Rs 4.38 trillion Budget centred on infrastructure, industrialisation, targeted welfare and closer alignment with central government initiatives

118-year-old Calcutta Stock Exchange seeks to find its lost trading pulse

While presenting the Budget on Monday, Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta said that the 118-year-old institution was on the verge of closure due to several legal hurdles

West Bengal govt to re-examine land ceiling Act to attract investments

The West Bengal government on Monday announced that it would 're-examine' the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976, with Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta describing the legislation as a major bottleneck to attracting large-scale investments in the state. Presenting the state budget in the Assembly, Dasgupta said West Bengal remains the only major state in the country where the Act's provisions continue to be in force, hampering large-scale industrial and infrastructure projects. "I hereby announce that the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976, will be re-examined to unlock the potential of developable land, attract investments and fuel economic growth," the minister said. The announcement assumes significance as industry bodies and investors have long argued that restrictions on urban land holdings limit the availability of large contiguous land parcels required for industrial, commercial and infrastructure projects. The Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act was

Bengal BJP govt's first budget promises 100k jobs, DA hike for employees

The BJP government in West Bengal on Monday presented its maiden budget, announcing the filling of 1 lakh government vacancies, a 20 percentage point hike in DA for its employees, and a Rs 36,000-crore outlay for the financial assistance scheme for women, Annapurna Yojana. Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta said his government has inherited a debt burden of Rs 8.15 lakh crore from the previous administration, asserting that restoring fiscal discipline and public confidence in governance would be among his priorities. "Building a corruption-free administrative structure is a cornerstone of our vision. We have to restore people's trust in governance," he said. Dasgupta said DA for state government employees and DR for pensioners would be raised by 20 percentage points from October 1, taking it to 38 per cent. The move narrows the gap between the DA received by state government employees and their central government counterparts by 22 percentage points, a politically significant ...

TMC's last Budget before polls lays focus on job creation, DA hiked by 4%

Given the focus on social sector schemes, the state is planning market borrowing of over Rs 81,972 crore in 2025-26, projecting the total outstanding debt to go up to Rs 7,71,670 crore

Bengal Budget allocates Rs 1,091 cr for forest dept, Sunderbans Affairs

Emphasising the importance of increasing green cover, the West Bengal budget for 2025-26 allocated Rs 1,091.11 crore for the forest department and Sunderbans Affairs. A senior forest official explained that this allocation would fund projects like the Green India Mission, Integrated Watershed Management, Eco-tourism, afforestation efforts, the state's 100-day work schemes (in the absence of central allocations), School Nursery programmes, and the Sabujshree initiative, among others. Minister MoS (Independent) Chandrima Bhattacharya said the government is committed to enhancing ecological stability by increasing forest and tree cover and conserving wildlife. "A total of 3,584.40 hectares have been afforested under the state development scheme, with 113.34 lakh saplings distributed to the public. Under the Sabujshree initiative, 64 lakh seedlings have been distributed to mothers of newborns until November 2024," she stated in the budget. Additionally, 131.48 hectares of plantations a

West Bengal's growth driven by fiscal discipline, says Economic Review

The Economic Review for 2024-25 presented by the West Bengal government in the assembly on Wednesday said that the state had achieved growth over the years through fiscal discipline. The review said that in the last 13 years, the West Bengal economy has witnessed tremendous growth. The size of the economy, measured in terms of nominal gross state domestic product (GSDP) has reached a level of Rs 18,15,010 crore in 2024-25. In the same fiscal, the state economy is estimated to grow by 6.80 per cent in real terms. According to the review, fiscal health of the state has improved impressively in the last 13 years. The state's own tax revenue collection has risen by more than four times between 2010-11 to 2023-24. On the other hand, capital expenditure has been consistently increasing since 2011-12. Also, government spending on agriculture and allied sector, rural development and social welfare schemes has increased enormously, the review said. On account of effective fiscal consolida

West Bengal Budget 2025-26: Rs 3.89 trn earmarked to push growth, welfare

West Bengal Budget 2025: Increase in dearness allowance and welfare schemes among key highlights of Budget speech

Rs 3.89 trn Budget for FY26 tabled in Bengal Assembly, DA increased 4%

West Bengal Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya on Wednesday presented the state budget for 2025-26, pegged at Rs 3.89 lakh crore, with a significant focus on social welfare, rural growth and infrastructure. The government has unveiled a series of infrastructure and agricultural development projects in its budget, allocating significant funds for rural connectivity, river erosion control, and agrarian support initiatives. In a key announcement, Bhattacharya announced that the state government would increase the Dearness Allowance (DA) by four per cent from April 1, 2025. This would bring the total DA to 18 per cent for the state employees, providing much-needed relief to them, amid rising inflation.

CPI(M) turns to 'old flavour' in new package for route to revival in Bengal

We have fielded mostly new faces. There are barely three who are above 60 years of age, said Samik Lahiri, a senior leader of the party

CAA implementation ahead of LS polls sets stage for politics in Bengal

The implementation of the CAA by the Centre just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls is anticipated to intensify communal polarization, significantly influencing the electoral discourse in West Bengal with both the opposition BJP and the ruling TMC poised to reap political dividend out of it. The CAA, enacted by Parliament in 2019, aims to expedite citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014. With the recent notification of the rules, persecuted non-Muslim migrantsHindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christiansfrom these nations are now eligible for Indian nationality. The Bengal BJP views the CAA as a pivotal issue in the upcoming polls, particularly in Matua-dominated constituencies, foreseeing an advantageous position for the party. Conversely, TMC leaders acknowledge the CAA's potential to shape the electoral narrative but intend to leverage it to highlight their stance against the BJP

ED raids multiple locations in Kolkata over teacher recruitment scam case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday morning started conducting searches at multiple locations in Kolkata and its neighbouring areas in connection with its probe into the teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal, officials said. A five-member ED team was conducting searches at the residence of a former para-teacher, alleged to be a close associate of arrested former state education minister Partha Chatterjee, at Patharghata Mazar Sharif area in New Town adjoining Kolkata, they said. Searches were also underway at the house of an accountant in Nagerbazar area in the northern part of the city, the officials said. ED searches were conducted in Rajarhat area at the residences of some businessmen, teachers, and intermediaries allegedly involved in the scam. The ongoing raids are part of the ED's probe to track the flow of money in the multi-crore scam.

Bandhan Bank authorised to collect revenues on behalf of West Bengal govt

Private lender Bandhan Bank on Saturday said that it has been authorised by the West Bengal government to collect tax and non-tax receipts on its behalf. The mandate will enable the bank to collect revenues through the Government Receipt Portal System (GRIPS). By virtue of this mandate, people will be able to pay various taxes like property tax, motor vehicle tax and professional tax using this portal, the lender said. The bank will soon be integrating itself with the West Bengal government to operationalise the payment collection process. Debraj Saha, head-government business, Bandhan Bank said West Bengal is among the top three markets for Bandhan Bank. The bank has over 1,700 transaction outlets in the state, he said. GRIPS is an online internet-based platform for making various tax and non-tax payments to the West Bengal government.

Police cordoned off my lodge, stopped me from visiting Sandeshkhali: BJP

West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar on Thursday alleged that the state police have cordoned off the lodge where he has put up in Taki area to prevent him from heading towards unrest-hit Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district. Majumdar said he was scheduled to visit Sandeshkhali this afternoon to meet the agitators. "After yesterday's protests, I decided to stay at a lodge in Taki so that I could easily visit Sandeshkhali from here. But since this morning, police have blocked the entrance of the lodge and are not allowing me to move out," he told PTI. Majumdar claimed he has been put under "house arrest", a claim denied by the police. A huge police contingent, equipped with riot gear, was seen deployed outside the lodge. Sandeshkhali is around 35 km from Taki. Reacting to the development, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of trying to "vitiate the atmosphere". "The allegations are baseless. The BJP is trying to vitiate the atmosphere of the area. They want t

Will launch protests if Bengal's dues not cleared in seven days: Mamata

West Bengal CM and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday gave the Centre a seven-day ultimatum to clear all dues failing which the party would launch a massive protest. Banerjee made these remarks during a programme at Raj Bhavan to celebrate the 75th Republic Day. Banerjee said, "If the central government does not clear the funds, then we (TMC) will initiate a massive protest." According to West Bengal government's figures, the Centre owes the state Rs 9,330 crore under the PMAY, Rs 6,900 crore under MGNREGA, Rs 830 crore under National Health Mission, Rs 770 crore under PM Gram Sadak Yojna, Rs 350 crore under the Swachh Bharat Mission, Rs 175 crore for mid Day Meals, as well as money under other schemes. Banerjee had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 20, and discussed the issue of pending central funds. After the meeting, she said Modi proposed that officials from state and Centre can sit together and clear the issues. Earlier this week, a team of state governmen

Bengal Guv seeks report on ration scam probe; summons state officials

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose has asked senior state government officers including Chief Secretary BP Gopalika to brief him about the ration scam, an official said on Wednesday. Besides, Gopalika, Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty and DGP Rajiv Kumar have been called by the Governor for the meeting. "The governor has asked the chief secretary, home secretary and DGP to brief him about the proceedings on the ration scam. He will also ask them to give them details about the development in arresting the accused TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh," he told PTI. The ED director on Tuesday met the governor. "The meeting lasted for nearly 40 minutes and the ED chief briefed the governor," he said. An ED team was attacked on Friday when they went to TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh's house in Sandeshkhali to conduct a raid in connection with alleged irregularities in the ration scam. The ED has already lodged a complaint at the Nazat police station in connection with the assault. The family

Attack on ED officers explosion of public grievance, says Bengal minister

West Bengal minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay on Tuesday courted controversy with his comments that the recent attack on ED officers during a raid in North 24 Parganas was a result of explosion of public grievance. Chattopadhyay, the state's agriculture minister, also claimed that such attacks will take place in other parts of the country, too, where probe agencies conduct raids. We have seen the explosion of public grievance at one place in the state Such incidents will happen at other places in India as well in future, he said at a programme. Three ED officers were injured and several of their vehicles vandalised, as hundreds of supporters of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh attacked them on January 5, when the team went to conduct a raid at his house in Sandeshkhali in connection with alleged irregularities in the state's ration system. Chattopadhyay also claimed that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has unearthed scams worth several crores of rupees in the present BJP-led regi

Those questioning law and order situation trying to malign Bengal: Mamata

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that those questioning West Bengal's law and order situation in the backdrop of the attack on Enforcement Department (ED) officers were trying to malign the state. Banerjee asserted that Kolkata has been adjudged the country's safest city for years as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). "I am not bothered about criticisms against me. But, I will protest if anyone tries to malign the state. Those questioning the law and order situation are trying to malign the state," she said, addressing the 'Students' Week' programme here. Three ED officers were injured and several of their vehicles vandalised as hundreds of supporters of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh attacked them on Friday. The attack happened when the ED team went to Sheikh's house in Sandeshkhali for a raid in connection with alleged irregularities in the state's ration system.

WB govt employees protest, demand DA at par with central govt employees

An organisation of West Bengal government employees on Friday commenced a three-day sit-in demonstration near the state secretariat 'Nabanna' demanding release of dearness allowance to them at par with their central government counterparts. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced an additional four per cent DA to the state government employees from January next. The members of the Sangrami Joutha Mancha sat on the dharna near the 'Nabanna', where the chief minister's office is located, with placards and posters and shouted slogans in support of their demand for release of DA at par with central government employees. The Sangrami Joutha Mancha members claimed that even after the announcement by the chief minister for an additional four per cent DA to state government employees, there would remain a 36 percentage points difference between the DA of state government and central government employees. The Calcutta High Court on Thursday gave conditional permission to the ..

WB's per capita debt at all-time high, economists fear debt trap situation

As on March 31, 2011, the accumulated debt figure was Rs 1,97,000 crore and the per capita debt figure was Rs 20,300