Mamata Banerjee Government Announces Slew Of Schemes in Bengal Budget 2024, Calls It ‘D’ for Development And Not Dole

Bengal government has proposed slew of social security schemes, enhanced the financial assistance in existing schemes in the state budget for the fiscal year 2024-25. Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, the expansive budget covers every sector- from women to government employees; from contractual workers to farmers and fishermen.

Financial assistance to women under the scheme ‘Lakhhir Bhandar’, was the first of its kind in the country, started by Mamata Banerjee soon after her election to power for the third consecutive time in 2021. It was her major poll promise. For the the 2024, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Finance Chandrima Bhattacharya announced the further enhancement of the assistance from Rs 500 to Rs 1000 for women from general category and similarly Rs 1000 was hiked to Rs 1200 for women under SC/St category. “I was aware of the qualms of the women getting Rs 500 every month. We have tried to meet up with the difference in the amount and thus increased it to Rs 1000. This is for the mothers and sisters of Bengal”, said Mamata Banerjee after the budget was tabled. The flagship scheme covering over 2 crore beneficiaries in the State for the year 2024-25 has an allocation of a whopping Rs 14,400 crore.

Amongst the other key highlights, the state government has announced an additional four per cent of dearness allowance for state employees, effective from May 2024. From January 2024 as previously announced a DA hike by four percent had brought the figure to ten percent of DA which, from May onwards will go up to fourteen percent. Similarly monthly remuneration of contractual employees of Group D and Group C have been hiked by Rs 3000 and Rs 3500 respectively.


The only scheme which didn’t have an allocation in the budget was the housing scheme, since the funding of Pradhan Mantra Awas Yojna has been stalled by the Centre. The state however has assured to figure out a way if funds are not cleared soon. Remember, Mamata Banerjee last Saturday while blaming BJP of vindictive politics, had announced that state will be paying MNREGA beneficiaries from its own coffers after Centra had withheld their payments for over two years. “The Centre has imposed a financial blockade on West Bengal. But, we will not cow down. The State’s dues from the central government is nearly Rs 1.18 lakh crore,” Ms. Bhattacharya said.

The West Bengal government has allocated Rs 3,700 crores to pay the wages of 21 lakh MGNREGA workers. Observing that the “Central government has deprived marginalised people of their minimum subsidence right by denying funds under MGNREGA ‘‘ the Budget referred to a new scheme ‘Karmasree’ where the State government will ensure at least 50 day work to each job card holder. The Budget also promised that the West Bengal government also promised to provide employment to five lakh persons through several schemes.

The Budget documents tabled in the State Assembly pointed out that the tax collection is expected at around Rs 1,02, 349 crore whereas the debt as a percentage of GSDP stood at 36.88 % in 2024-25. The expenditure for capital outlay is pegged at Rs 35,866 crore whereas revenue expenditure stands at Rs 2,68,202 crore. The State government’s raising of public debt amounts to Rs 1,21,689 crore.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lauded the budget and said that “despite the financial constraints the Budget proves that West Bengal is marching ahead and showing the path for the rest of the country on how to make provisions in a budget for the masses”. BJP Leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari, however, described the Budget as ‘directionless’ and said that the document was an attempt to woo people ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

The tabling of the Budget witnessed noisy scenes in the State Assembly with members of the Opposition benches disrupting the speech of the Finance Minister. As the proceedings of the State Assembly started the State Song’ Bangla Mati Bangla Jal’ was played. Adhikari and other BJP MLA refused to partake and started singing the national anthem instead. Speaker Biman Banerjee and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the behaviour of the BJP legislators. “This is not BJP party office. They have insulted the state and also Rabindranath Tagore. BJP ids anti Bengal and also anti Bengali”, Mamata Banerjee had said on the floor of the assembly, soon after the showdown over the state anthem.