Interim budget 2026: Bengal's Mamata focuses on social welfare spending
West Bengal just rolled out a ₹4.06 lakh crore interim budget, with nearly half the spending—₹1.8 lakh crore—going to social welfare schemes.
The state's planning a 14.2% rise over the revised estimates for 2025-26, all set against the backdrop of Assembly elections coming up in April.
From stipend for unemployed youth to boost in GST collections
This budget is all about direct support for people: women under the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme will get an extra ₹500 per month starting February, and unemployed youth (21-40) will be eligible to receive a ₹1,500 monthly stipend for up to five years through the new Banglar Yuva Sathi program.
The state is also boosting its revenue with higher GST collections and more central grants, while managing to cut its revenue deficit almost in half from the revised estimate for 2025-26—a move aimed at keeping finances healthier as election season heats up.