Swapan Dasgupta presents Bengal BJP government's maiden budget
What's the story
West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta presented the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) first budget for 2026-27 on Monday. The budget has been described as a mix of welfare spending, job creation, and fiscal discipline. It promises direct cash transfers for women, large-scale recruitment drives, infrastructure projects, and salary hikes for government employees. "We have inherited a debt burden of ₹8.15 lakh crore...Building a corruption-free administrative structure is a cornerstone of our vision," Dasgupta said while presenting the budget.
Welfare scheme
Direct cash transfers to women
The budget allocates ₹36,000 crore for the Annapurna Yojana, a revamped version of the previous government's Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. Under this program, eligible women will get ₹3,000 per month through direct benefit transfers. However, the number of beneficiaries is expected to be around one crore as opposed to the 2.4 crore claimed by the earlier government due to stricter eligibility norms and beneficiary verification processes, PTI reported.
Employment focus
Focus on employment generation
The budget also focuses on employment generation, with plans to fill one lakh vacant government posts. This includes 50,000 teaching and non-teaching jobs in schools and around 20,000 police vacancies. The upper age limit for recruitment has been relaxed by two more years. A major decision is a 20% increase in dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) for state government employees from October 1, 2026, taking the existing 18 percent to 38 percent.
Development initiatives
Infrastructure projects in the pipeline
The budget also announces several infrastructure projects, including ₹1,200 crore for the Ghatal Master Plan to tackle flooding in Paschim Medinipur. Plans are underway for a greenfield airport near Kalyani and an elevated corridor between Chingrighata and New Town. The government is also looking at reviving the Calcutta Stock Exchange and re-examining Urban Land Ceiling regulations to promote industrial development.
Green initiatives
Financial relief measures for frontline workers
The budget also focuses on renewable energy with plans to install two lakh rooftop solar systems under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. An additional subsidy of ₹5,000 for SC and ST families is also announced. Financial relief measures are announced for frontline workers, including anganwadi and ASHA workers, who will get an additional ₹5,000 per month. Other categories, like civic volunteers, will see a monthly hike of ₹2,000 from August 2026.
Progress initiatives
Other notable announcements in the budget
The budget also announces the establishment of a Tribal University in Jhargram and an Artificial Intelligence Mission to support innovation. Retired journalists will get a monthly pension of ₹5,000, while those who were jailed in what the government described as politically motivated cases will receive ₹10,000 per month. The BJP government aims to differentiate itself from its predecessor by promising tighter beneficiary verification and fiscal discipline while retaining welfare-oriented frameworks central to Bengal politics under the Trinamool Congress (TMC).