Bengal: Polls a year away, welfare schemes to get Budget push

Officials told The Indian Express that two schemes —Banglar Bari, a housing scheme; and Lakshmir Bhandar, a financial assistance scheme for women — will be the government’s thrust areas.

“Banglar Bari will be the one of the key thrust areas in this year’s budget along with other welfare schemes like Lakshmir Bhandar, Kanyasree, Sabuj Sathi, and Rupasree. The revenue deficit may increase in the budget, but then government will not decrease the allocation in the social security schemes,” a senior official in the state Finance Department said.

Last year, the government had announced the launch of ‘Banglar Bari’ housing scheme, citing the Centre’s blocking the funds to the state under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

Announcing the launch of the housing scheme last December, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee handed over the first installment for housing construction to nearly 12 lakh people belonging to the marginal sections of the society. She also announced that 16 lakh more beneficiaries will be given housing funds before the 2026 Assembly elections.

Fully funded by the state government, the funds are allotted to the beneficiaries of the scheme in two phases.

In the 2024-25 Budget, the state government alloted an additional Rs 12,000 crore to Lakshmir Bhandar schemeas it doubled the monthly allowance to beneficiaries of the scheme to Rs 1,000 for the general category, and Rs 1,000 to Rs 1200 for the SCs/ST communities.

TMC leaders said that the hike helped the party to win over women voters in the last year’s Lok Sabha election. Sources said that with women playing a crucial role in the elections, the Finance Department may further increase the amount.

Even as West Bengal’s fiscal deficit increased to Rs 68,250 crore in the 2024-25 Budget, an increase of nearly 37 per cent from 2022-23 when the fiscal deficit was Rs 49,966 crore, the TMC government had announced new welfare schemes and hiked incentives of existing schemes to benefit women, youth and different sections of the society.

The state government had also announced Samudra Sathi schem to extend financial assistance to fishermen and a scheme of one-time grant of upto Rs 1 lakh for artisans, including traditional crafts and trades.