West Bengal got its first BJP government budget on June 22, 2026. Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta stood up in the State Assembly and laid out the BJP's financial plan for FY 2026-27 — a budget that the party promised would be different from the Trinamool Congress years in tone, direction, and spending priorities.
The headline numbers are big: 1 lakh new government jobs, a 20% DA hike for state employees, Rs. 36,000 crore for women's financial support, and Rs. 5,000 crore for industries. But there is a lot more in this budget worth reading carefully.
Here is a straightforward breakdown of everything announced.
Check DA Hike, New Jobs, Free Bus Scheme, Women Benefits and all key announcements.
The BJP won West Bengal in early 2026, ending 15 years of TMC rule under Mamata Banerjee. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari came to power with a list of promises — jobs, better DA for government employees, industry revival, and improved relations with the Centre.
This budget is the first full test of whether those promises are being kept.
The state also carries a heavy financial burden. West Bengal's outstanding debt has crossed Rs. 8 lakh crore, with a debt-to-GSDP ratio of around 38% — among the highest for any major state in India. Annual interest payments alone eat up nearly Rs. 49,000 crore. That does not leave a lot of room for new spending, which makes some of the announcements here all the more notable.
Get your GST Number with expert CA support, document verification and fast application processing.
This was one of the most anticipated announcements.
State government employees in West Bengal have been fighting for DA parity with central government employees for years. The TMC government kept state DA far below the central rate, which became a major political issue.
Finance Minister Dasgupta announced a 20 percentage point increase in DA, taking the total rate from 18% to 38%, effective October 1, 2026. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari added that the government's goal is to eventually bring state DA fully in line with central government levels.
For state employees, this is a meaningful income increase after a long wait.
The government announced recruitment for one lakh government vacancies across various departments this financial year.
Of these positions, 33% will be reserved for women candidates. The police force will see 20,000 new recruitments, and 50,000 teaching posts will also be filled. Monthly salaries of civic police, home guards, and green police will be raised by Rs. 2,000 per month.
Every sub-division in the state will get a women's police station, and every police station will have a dedicated women's help desk.
The government's biggest welfare announcement is the Annapurna Yojana, a financial assistance scheme for women. The budget allocates Rs. 36,000 crore for this scheme, which provides Rs. 3,000 per month to eligible women.
Additionally, Rs. 550 crore has been set aside for free bus travel for women across the state. A Pink Card scheme will be introduced to identify beneficiaries for this service.
Girl students in state government and government-aided schools will receive a scholarship of Rs. 50,000. The government also announced that new women's colleges will be set up across the state, and sanitary vending machines will be installed in colleges.
Chief Minister Adhikari was direct about the industrial policy shift: "The previous government withdrew incentives for industries. We have reintroduced incentives and allocated Rs. 5,000 crore for the purpose."
For private investors putting in more than Rs. 100 crore, the government has removed the requirement to seek local-level permissions. This is a significant change meant to attract large investments without bureaucratic delays.
The government also announced it will re-examine the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act (ULCRA), 1976. This old law restricted how much urban land a single entity could hold. Re-examining it could unlock land that has been sitting idle in cities, which would make it easier to set up factories, warehouses, and commercial facilities in urban areas.
Finance Minister Dasgupta put it plainly: "We have ended Syndicate Raj that crippled Bengal. We have changed the direction of State policy and given our total support to entrepreneurship, growth, innovation, technology and business."
The budget has a strong infrastructure push.
A greenfield airport will be built near Kolkata at Kalyani. The government has identified 1,000 to 1,500 acres of land for this project. The intent is to reduce congestion at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, which has been stretched for capacity.
Purulia, Balurghat, and Malda will get new airports under the central government's UDAAN scheme. Cooch Behar airport will be expanded.
An integrated deep-sea port will be set up at Dadanpatrabarh in Purba Medinipur. This is a long-discussed project that could significantly boost trade movement through the state.
The government announced feasibility studies for metro rail projects in Durgapur, Asansol, and Siliguri — three major urban centers outside Kolkata that have been growing rapidly.
A semiconductor manufacturing unit will be established in Durgapur, along with a new IT park to attract technology companies.
Four new medical colleges will be set up in Alipurduar, Kalimpong, Dakshin Dinajpur, and Paschim Bardhaman. These are districts that have historically had limited access to quality medical education and healthcare.
MBBS seats across the state will increase by 650, and postgraduate medical seats will go up by 450.
A new Ayush Department will be created within the state government to promote traditional medicine systems.
Rs. 14,000 crore has been allocated for providing employment under the VB-G RAM G scheme. This is significant because rural job creation under MGNREGA was suspended in West Bengal since 2021 — the government is now reviving this with a state-level equivalent.
A new scheme called Bhorsa Karmasathi will provide Rs. 3,000 per month to unemployed youth.
Salary of ASHA workers under ICDS will be hiked by Rs. 5,000 per month. Cook-cum-helpers under the PM POSHAN mid-day meal scheme will get a Rs. 1,000 raise. Mid-day meal allocation per student will be increased to Rs. 10, and ISKCON will assist in food preparation and distribution.
The annual MLA Local Area Development Fund has been raised from Rs. 70 lakh to Rs. 1 crore per constituency.
In a move few expected, the government announced plans to revive the Calcutta Stock Exchange, which had become largely dormant over the past two decades. No specific allocation was mentioned, but the announcement signals intent to restore Kolkata as a financial center.
Finance Minister Dasgupta announced that West Bengal will focus on artificial intelligence as part of its development agenda. Land records will be digitized under the Digital India framework. Infrastructure for online examinations and digital record-keeping will be built across government departments.
One of the recurring themes in the budget speech was the new government's stance toward the Centre. The previous TMC government had a well-documented conflict with the BJP government in Delhi, with disputes over funds, schemes, and governance.
Dasgupta made the shift explicit: "We have ended the needless conflict with the Centre and tried to take advantage of everything the double engine has to offer."
For a state that lost access to several central schemes and funds during the TMC years, this could mean additional resources flowing in going forward.
The debt problem remains the elephant in the room. With Rs. 8 lakh crore in outstanding debt and Rs. 49,000 crore going out annually just in interest payments, the government faces serious fiscal constraints. The budget announces significant spending, but it is not yet clear how much of this is being funded through fresh borrowing versus revenue generation.
The budget speech made references to fiscal consolidation and revenue mobilization, but specific numbers on deficit reduction targets were not highlighted in the key announcements.
Category
Announcement
DA for state employees
Raised by 20% (from 18% to 38%), effective October 1, 2026
Government jobs
1 lakh vacancies to be filled, 33% reserved for women
Annapurna Yojana
Rs. 36,000 crore allocated, Rs. 3,000 per month per beneficiary
Free bus travel for women
Rs. 550 crore allocated, Pink Card to be introduced
Industry incentives
Rs. 5,000 crore allocated
Rural employment (VB-G RAM G)
Rs. 14,000 crore allocated
Greenfield airport Kalyani
1,000 to 1,500 acres identified
Deep-sea port
Dadanpatrabarh, Purba Medinipur
New medical colleges
Alipurduar, Kalimpong, Dakshin Dinajpur, Paschim Bardhaman
MLA LADF
Raised from Rs. 70 lakh to Rs. 1 crore
Unemployed youth scheme
Rs. 3,000 per month under Bhorsa Karmasathi
ASHA worker salary
Hiked by Rs. 5,000 per month
Girl student scholarship
Rs. 50,000 per student in govt and aided schools
Outstanding state debt
Over Rs. 8 lakh crore
It is the BJP government's first full budget for FY 2026-27, presented by Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta on June 22, 2026. It focuses on government jobs, DA hike for state employees, women's welfare, industrial revival, and infrastructure development.
Annapurna Yojana is a financial assistance scheme for women. The 2026 budget allocated Rs. 36,000 crore for this scheme, providing Rs. 3,000 per month to eligible women beneficiaries.
The budget announced a 20% increase in Dearness Allowance, raising the total DA rate from 18% to 38% for state government employees, effective October 1, 2026.
The government announced re-examination of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976, to free up developable urban land and make it easier for private industries to set up operations in cities.
The government announced filling 1 lakh government vacancies, including 20,000 police posts and 50,000 teaching posts, with 33% reservation for women.
Key infrastructure announcements include a greenfield airport at Kalyani near Kolkata, a deep-sea port at Dadanpatrabarh in Purba Medinipur, metro rail studies for Durgapur, Asansol, and Siliguri, and expansion of airports at Cooch Behar, Purulia, Balurghat, and Malda.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *