Mamata Banerjee govt tables Rs 3.89 lakh cr budget; hikes DA & focuses on rural development

The TMC government of West Bengal on Wednesday tabled a Rs 389lakh crore budget for 202526 increased dearness allowance DA by four per cent state government employees and focused on rural development prioritising infrastructure and welfare ahead of next years assembly electionsThe government unveiled a series of infrastructure and agricultural development projects in its budget allocating significant funds for rural connectivity river erosion control and agrarian support initiativesIn the last fullfledged budget of the Mamata Banerjee government before the 2026 Assembly elections Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya tabled in the assembly a Rs 389 lakh crore budgetIn the previous budget the state saw an allocation of Rs 367 lakh crore marking an 8 per cent increase from the previous year 202324Bhattacharya announced that the state government would increase the Dearness Allowance DA by four per cent from April 1 2025This would bring the total DA to 18 per cent for over 10 lakh state government employees and pensionersThe move is aimed at addressing ongoing concerns raised by the employees who have been agitating for better compensationWith this four per cent increase in DA we are reaffirming our commitment to the welfare of our employees Bhattacharya said underlining the states focus on the wellbeing of its workforceIn the budget speech Bhattacharya said a total of Rs 4413965 crore has been allocated for rural development surpassing allocations for all other sectors in this years budgetAdditionally Rs 1338168 crore has been earmarked for the Urban and Municipal Development DepartmentIn the 294seat West Bengal Assembly rural constituencies dominate with around 170 to 180 seats in rural areas often proving decisive in electionsBhattacharya highlighted an increase in funding for multiple ruralcentric initiatives including the road construction scheme Pathashree and housing programme Banglar BariRs 1500 crore has been allocated for the Pathashree project in the upcoming fiscal year while the Banglar Bari scheme has seen an increase of Rs 9600 croreThis year 12 lakh families have been provided funds for constructing permanent homes and another 16 lakh families will benefit from the same assistance in the next fiscal yearAfter the budget presentation Bhattacharya emphasised the integration of rural and urban economies saying Employment opportunities for rural people will be created which will also nourish the urban economy We aim to create this synergy In a bid to address the persistent issue of river erosion the government set aside Rs 200 crore which would provide muchneeded relief to vulnerable riverine communitiesFurther strengthening its focus on infrastructure the government sanctioned Rs 500 crore for the construction of a 475 kmlong bridge over the Ganga river at Gangasagar which is expected to facilitate smooth access for pilgrims and boost local economiesFor the lsquoGhatal Master Planrsquo a mega project to dredge riverbeds and strengthen embankments of at least 10 major rivers in the state the government has allocated Rs 500 crore this year The total cost of the project is Rs 1500 croreA new project called lsquoNadi Bandhanrsquo was announced for rivercentric areas in the state The project has been allocated Rs 200 crore and it will focus on measures to prevent riverbank erosionBhattacharya announced that 70000 ASHA workers will be provided with smartphones as part of the budgets welfare measuresThere was no announcement regarding the Lakshmir Bhandar a financial assistance scheme for women in the budgetSpeaking at a press conference after the budget was presented Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Lakshmir Bhandar is a popular scheme Altogether 221 crore women benefit from it The state government spends Rs 50000 crore on this Other states especially the BJPruled states are copying the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme She said the state budget has a vision to create employment opportunitiesExpressing dissatisfaction with the budget BJP lawmakers staged a walkout after the finance minister ended her speechThey raised slogans against the government highlighting the difference between the DA given by the central government and the stateThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever