Prominent industry leaders of West Bengal on Monday (June 22, 2026) welcomed the first budget of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the State presented by Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta, lauding its emphasis on industry, reconsidering land ceiling, infrastructure and healthcare.

Mehul Mohanka, chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry Eastern Region, called it “a forward-looking roadmap for infrastructure-led growth and industrial competitiveness,” adding that litigation-free land was critical to large investments.

“The emphasis on metro rail expansion, including studies for new metro rail projects in Durgapur, Asansol and Siliguri, is a welcome step, as improved urban mobility will support workforce movement, ease congestion and strengthen productivity in key industrial centres,” Mr. Mohanka said.

Mr. Dasgupta in the budget proposed deep-sea port at Dadanpatrabar in Purba Medinipur on a public-private basis, a greenfield airport on 1,000–1,500 acres near Kalyani to ease congestion at Kolkata airport, and a feasibility study for metro links between Durgapur–Asansol and Siliguri–Jalpaiguri.

Harshavardhan Neotia, chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group said that what is particularly encouraging about this Budget is that it looks at growth as an ecosystem rather than a collection of individual initiatives.

“Investments in regional connectivity through new airports and infrastructure, the focus on education and healthcare capacity, the proposed industrial development initiatives, and the emphasis on employment generation together have the potential to expand economic activity well beyond the traditional growth centres of the State,” he said.

 Taranjit Singh, chairman, ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India) Eastern Region welcomed the first Budget of the new State government and appreciate its emphasis on laying a clear roadmap for accelerating economic growth through infrastructure development, enhanced revenue mobilization, and improved public service delivery. “The Finance Minister’s articulation of the state’s development agenda in alignment with the vision of Viksit Bharat reflects a constructive approach towards fostering inclusive and sustainable growth” Mr. Singh said.

Priti A. Sureka, president Merchant Chamber of Commerce said that the budget provides a prescription for all around development with focus on holistic growth of West Bengal. Ms. Sureka highlighted the setting up of Tea workers development board, IT hub and a semiconductor unit at Durgapur and emphasis laid on electric vehicles and renewable energy.

Another decision in the budget that caught support of the industry captions was the decision to re-examine the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976.

Mahesh Agarwal, managing director, Purti Realty said that decision to examine the Urban Land Ceiling Act (ULCA) framework is a positive development and a practical assessment of existing land regulations can enable more effective land use, assist planned urban growth, and enhance the business environment.

“The emphasis on ongoing investment in city infrastructure, such as the proposed Chingrighata–New Town elevated corridor, is very encouraging. New Town has firmly positioned itself as a key business and residential centre in Eastern India, and improved connectivity will strengthen its attractiveness for investment..,” he said

The North Bengal focus in the budget was lauded by Rudra Chatterjee, deputy chairman, CII Eastern Region who said that for the tea industry, the Budget also provides an opportunity to build a more sustainable value chain by encouraging greater processing, packaging, branding and value addition closer to the gardens.  Mr. Chatterjee lauded the announcement of proposing one IIT and one IIM in the region

On the healthcare front Budget set aside ₹3,100 crore for Ayushman Bharat, expected to cover about seven crore people, and proposed an AIIMS and a cancer hospital in North Bengal, super-speciality hospitals at the Sundarbans, Purulia and Darjeeling.

Rupak Barua, chairman, CII West Bengal State Council and Managing Director & CEO, Woodlands Hospital, noted, that the proposed allocation of ₹3,100 crore for Ayushman Bharat signals a strong commitment to expanding affordable healthcare coverage across vulnerable groups, including senior citizens and frontline workers.

Namit Bajoria, managing director, Kutchina Home Makers Pvt. Ltd said that consumer-facing sectors like kitchen solutions and home appliances, demand is closely linked to urbanisation, housing growth and rising incomes and the first Budget of the new government is encouraging, particularly in its focus on industrial growth.

Published – June 23, 2026 03:39 am IST

A file image of West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party president Samik Bhattacharya.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Kolkata:

The TMC government of West Bengal on Wednesday tabled a Rs 3.89-lakh crore budget for 2025-26, increased dearness allowance (DA) by four per cent state government employees, and focused on rural development, prioritising infrastructure and welfare ahead of next year’s assembly elections.

The 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 initiatives.

In the last full-fledged budget of the Mamata Banerjee government before the 2026 Assembly elections, Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya tabled in the assembly a Rs 3.89 lakh crore budget.

In the previous budget, the state saw an allocation of Rs 3.67 lakh crore, marking an 8 per cent increase from the previous year 2023-24.

Bhattacharya announced that the state government would increase the Dearness Allowance (DA) by four per cent from April 1, 2025.

This would bring the total DA to 18 per cent for over 10 lakh state government employees and pensioners.

The move is aimed at addressing ongoing concerns raised by the employees who have been agitating for better compensation.

“With this four per cent increase in DA, we are reaffirming our commitment to the welfare of our employees,” Bhattacharya said, underlining the state’s focus on the well-being of its workforce.

In the budget speech, Bhattacharya said a total of Rs 44,139.65 crore has been allocated for rural development, surpassing allocations for all other sectors in this year’s budget.

Additionally, Rs 13,381.68 crore has been earmarked for the Urban and Municipal Development Department.

In the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly, rural constituencies dominate, with around 170 to 180 seats in rural areas often proving decisive in elections.

Bhattacharya highlighted an increase in funding for multiple rural-centric initiatives, including the road construction scheme ‘Pathashree’ and housing programme ‘Banglar Bari’.

Rs 1,500 crore has been allocated for the Pathashree project in the upcoming fiscal year, while the Bangla’r Bari scheme has seen an increase of Rs 9,600 crore.

This 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 year.

After 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 much-needed relief to vulnerable riverine communities.

Further strengthening its focus on infrastructure, the government sanctioned Rs 500 crore for the construction of a 4.75 km-long bridge over the Ganga river at Gangasagar, which is expected to facilitate smooth access for pilgrims and boost local economies.

For the ‘Ghatal Master Plan’, 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 1,500 crore.

A new project called ‘Nadi Bandhan’ was announced for river-centric areas in the state. The project has been allocated Rs 200 crore, and it will focus on measures to prevent riverbank erosion.

Bhattacharya announced that 70,000 ASHA workers will be provided with smartphones as part of the budget’s welfare measures.

There was no announcement regarding the ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’, a financial assistance scheme for women, in the budget.

Speaking at a press conference after the budget was presented, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “Lakshmir Bhandar is a popular scheme. Altogether 2.21 crore women benefit from it. The state government spends Rs 50,000 crore on this. Other states, especially the BJP-ruled states, are copying the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme.” She said the state budget has a vision to create employment opportunities.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the budget, BJP lawmakers staged a walkout after the finance minister ended her speech.

They raised slogans against the government, highlighting the difference between the DA given by the central government and the state. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)