West Bengal Assembly Budget Session Set for February 12
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Synopsis
The West Bengal Assembly budget session is set to begin on February 12, following the Union budget presentation. This budget, led by Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, will be pivotal ahead of the 2026 elections, with expected increases in welfare allocations.
Key Takeaways
- West Bengal Assembly budget session starts on February 12.
- This will be the last budget before the 2026 Assembly elections.
- Potential increases in welfare allocations for women and youth.
- Discussion on Dearness Allowance increases for state employees.
- Concerns over tax revenue generation remain.
Kolkata, Jan 21 (NationPress) The upcoming budget session of the West Bengal Assembly is anticipated to commence on February 12 this year, precisely 11 days following the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's presentation of the Union budget in Parliament on February 1.
This marks the final state budget to be unveiled by the West Bengal minister responsible for finance (independent charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya before the significant West Bengal Assembly elections scheduled for 2026.
According to sources from the state finance department, the initial plan was to kick off the budget session on February 7. However, a finance department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated that February 12 was later established as the tentative start date for the session.
Sources within the state finance department mentioned that, given this will be the final comprehensive budget ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, there might be an increase in allocations for various welfare and financial assistance schemes provided by the state government, particularly benefiting women and youth. Additionally, there could be an announcement regarding the rise in the Dearness Allowance for state government employees, a long-standing contentious issue which is currently pending in the Supreme Court.
However, finance department officials noted that even with a potential three percentage point hike in the Dearness Allowance for state employees, significant disparities with their Union government counterparts will persist. Presently, West Bengal government employees receive a Dearness Allowance of 14 percent, compared to 53 percent for Union government employees.
Moreover, the lingering question remains whether the state budget for the financial year 2024-25 will reveal any new avenues for bolstering the state's tax revenue generation, which heavily relies on state excise.
