The West Bengal government, with Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya at the head has presented a budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 amounting to ₹3.89 lakh crore. The budget presented seeks to improve employment opportunities as well as the overall economic situation. The most notable achievement is the extension of the DA by 4 per cent to more than ten lakh government workers and pensioners. This uplift brings the total DA to 18 per cent.
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Key Highlights
| Category | Allocation/Announcement |
|---|
| Total Budget | ₹3.89 lakh crore |
| Increase from the Previous Year | 8% (from ₹3.67 lakh crore) |
| Dearness Allowance (DA) Hike | 4% increase from April 1, 2025 |
| Rural Development Allocation | ₹44,139.65 crore |
| Urban & Municipal Development | ₹13,381.68 crore |
| Pathashree (Road Construction) | ₹1,500 crore |
| Banglar Bari (Housing Scheme) | ₹9,600 crore |
| River Erosion Prevention (Nadi Bandhan) | ₹200 crore |
| Gangasagar Bridge Project | ₹500 crore (4.75 km-long bridge) |
| Ghatal Master Plan (River Dredging & Embankments) | ₹500 crore (total project cost ₹1,500 crore) |
| ASHA Workers’ Smartphones | 70,000 ASHA workers to receive smartphones |
Rural Development And Infrastructure
Enhancing roads, housing, and connectivity consumes a big part of the budget along with rural development. Some of the key initiatives include the following.
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Pathashree Project: A sum of ₹1500 crores has been allotted towards the construction of rural roads.
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Banglar Bari Scheme: A total of ₹9600 crores will be provided for building new permanent residences for 16 lakh families in the next fiscal year.
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River Erosion Control: An outlay of ₹200 crores is being made under the 'Nadi Bandhan' initiative to prevent the erosion of river banks.
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Gangasagar Bridge: ₹500 crores have been allocated for the construction of a 4.75 km long bridge over the Ganga river, which will aid the local economy and improve access for pilgrims.
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Ghatal Master Plan: For the current financial year, a sum of ₹500 crores has been set aside for dredging river beds and reinforcing the banks of 10 important rivers.
Dearness Allowance (DA) Hike For Government Employees
As of April 1, 2025, the state government has confirmed an increase of DA by 4%. Hence, the new DA is set to be 18%. This is expected to benefit more than ten lakh government employees and pensioners. The increment was given to address the continuous requests made by employees to be paid more.
Welfare And Employment Initiatives
The budget focuses chiefly on welfare and employment opportunities. Various initiatives are designed to assist staff personnel and enhance rural employment opportunities. Nevertheless, a few important schemes did not provide clear information regarding funding.
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70,000 ASHA workers will be given smartphones to help improve healthcare delivery.
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There is an attempt to improve employment in rural areas to achieve greater integration between rural and urban economies.
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The government failed to allocate Lakshmir Bhandar, although, as a scheme that provides financial assistance to women, it was popular and had considerable scope.
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Conclusion
The budget of West Bengal for the year 2025-26 is estimated at 3.89 Lakh Crores. It emphasises rural development, infrastructure, and, with the most recent 4% DA increase, the welfare of the employees. With sizable earmarks for roads, housing, and river infrastructure works, the government hopes to propel economic expansion as well as meet the employment opportunities before the assembly elections in 2026.
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