₹3,000/month for jobless graduates in Bengal budget; who qualifies
What's the story
West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta on Monday presented the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government's first budget in the state Assembly. The budget includes several social welfare schemes, infrastructure projects, and recruitment drives. A key announcement was the "Bharosa Scheme" for unemployed people aged 21 to 45 years. Under this scheme, graduates without jobs will be entitled to financial assistance of ₹3,000 per month, while unemployed non-graduates will receive an allowance of ₹2,000 per month.
Welfare initiatives
Free travel for women on state-run busses
The scheme would apply to candidates from families whose annual income is less than ₹1 lakh and are not already receiving benefits under any other social security scheme. The budget also has ₹550 crore for free travel for women on state-run buses. A women's financial assistance scheme called Annapurna Yojana has been allocated ₹36,000 crore. Unmarried women will also get a one-time grant of ₹50,000 to pursue higher education.
Employment boost
Major recruitment drives announced
Dasgupta also announced major recruitment drives to fill 20,000 vacant police posts and 50,000 teaching posts across West Bengal. Nearly one lakh recruitments for state government jobs are planned, with one-third reserved for women. The minister also promised that north Bengal will soon have its first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM).
Infrastructure expansion
New airports to come up in Purulia, Balurghat, and Malda
To ease congestion at Kolkata airport, Dasgupta announced plans to identify 1,000-1,500 acres for a greenfield airport in Kalyani. Furthermore, Purulia, Balurghat, and Malda will get new airports under the Centre's UDAAN scheme, while the Cooch Behar airport is set to be expanded. Retired journalists will now get a ₹5,000 monthly pension under this budget.
Salary revision
20% hike in dearness allowance for state government employees
Additionally, students at government and government-aided colleges preparing for competitive exams will receive one-time financial help of ₹30,000. The finance minister has proposed allocating ₹30 crore for this purpose. The budget also includes a 20% hike in dearness allowance for state government employees. The revised DA will come into effect from October this year. This is the first budget of the BJP-led government in West Bengal, headed by Suvendu Adhikari.