Bengal Assembly's Upcoming Budget Session May Resolve Government-Raj Bhavan Dispute
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Synopsis
The conflict between the West Bengal government and the Raj Bhavan is poised to conclude during the forthcoming Budget session of the Assembly next month, with an invitation sent to Governor C. V. Ananda Bose for the opening speech.
Key Takeaways
- Governor's Speech: Expected on February 10.
- Budget Presentation: Scheduled for February 12 by Chandrima Bhattacharya.
- Welfare Schemes: Potential increases in funding for women and youth.
- Previous Year: Last session lacked Governor's address.
- Fiscal Health: West Bengal ranked 16th in revenue mobilisation.
Kolkata, Jan 30 (NationPress) The conflict between the West Bengal government and the Raj Bhavan is anticipated to conclude during the forthcoming Budget session of the Assembly, set for next month.
The state has already extended an invitation to the office of Governor C. V. Ananda Bose, asking him to deliver the inaugural speech of the Budget session on February 10.
Last year, the Assembly's Budget session proceeded without the Governor's address.
There had been uncertainties surrounding the Governor's opening speech this time as well, particularly since the Winter Session of the House concluded without a set date for resumption. If the upcoming Budget session is portrayed as a continuation of the adjourned session, the Governor's speech could have been omitted.
Nevertheless, sources within the state secretariat mentioned that the government has removed these uncertainties by formally sending the invitation to the Governor's office.
Yet, it remains unclear whether the Governor's office will respond favorably to the invitation.
While the Governor's address is slated for February 10, the state’s Minister of Finance, Chandrima Bhattacharya, is set to present the Budget proposals for the financial year 2025-26 on February 12.
Given that this will be the last comprehensive Budget before the state Assembly elections in 2026, there is a possibility of an increase in funding for various welfare and support schemes, particularly those focused on women and youth, along with a potential rise in the dearness allowance for state government employees.
Bhattacharya will introduce the state budget next month in light of the recently released 'Fiscal Health Index: 2025' report from NITI Aayog, which highlighted West Bengal's poor performance in revenue collection, expenditure quality, and debt index.
Out of 18 states evaluated, West Bengal secured the 16th position in the report.
