BJP Criticizes West Bengal's 2025-26 Budget as Lacking Vision
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Synopsis
The BJP in West Bengal has criticized the 2025-26 state budget for lacking vision, calling it directionless in terms of industrial growth and employment generation. Key BJP leaders highlighted fiscal concerns and inadequate proposals ahead of upcoming elections.
Key Takeaways
- Budget criticized for lacking vision.
- Concerns over fiscal health and debt.
- Claimed increase in allowances is superficial.
- Opposition leader calls government financially bankrupt.
- No proposals for job creation or industrial growth.
Kolkata, Feb 12 (NationPress) The West Bengal branch of the BJP has characterized the state Budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 as lacking vision and failing to provide a roadmap for industrial growth and job creation.
Former chief economic advisor to the Union government, Ashok Kumar Lahiri, who is now a BJP legislator, remarked that the budget address by West Bengal's finance minister (independent charge), Chandrima Bhattacharya, intentionally leaves out crucial statistics regarding the state’s fiscal health, such as fiscal deficit, accumulated debt, and interest obligations on that debt.
“The fiscal deficit for 2024-25, according to revised estimates, has exceeded the amount forecasted in last year’s budget. Likewise, the state's overall debt is escalating alarmingly. Yet, the state government remains in a state of denial, refusing to acknowledge these troubling figures,” Lahiri stated while commenting on the budget proposals.
Sukanta Majumdar, president of West Bengal BJP and Union Minister of State, asserted that, looking towards the upcoming assembly elections, the announced four percentage point increase in the dearness allowance for state employees is merely a superficial gesture, given the significant disparity with the dearness allowance available to Union government employees.
“The state finance minister has not proposed any increase in the amount disbursed under Lakshmir Bhandar, the monthly assistance scheme for women. I suspect the Chief Minister may make an offhand announcement regarding an increase prior to next year’s assembly elections,” Majumdar expressed.
According to the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, the budget address indicates that the present state government is financially bankrupt.
“There is a complete absence of proposals aimed at industrial development and job creation,” he remarked.
