Bengal Budget 2026: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal presented its maiden budget for FY 2026-27, announcing a sweeping package of welfare and employment measures that include a 20 per cent Dearness Allowance (DA) hike for state employees, the filling of 1 lakh government vacancies and a massive Rs 36,000 crore allocation for women under the revamped ‘Annapurna Yojna’ scheme.

State Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta presented the budget of Rs 4,38,775.29 crore (Net) in the Legislative Assembly, marking the first-ever budget by the BJP dispensation in the state. The package is designed to balance fiscal prudence with ambitious welfare commitments, as the government inherited a debt burden of Rs 8.15 lakh crore from the previous TMC regime.

As the Suvendu Adhikari-led government presented its first budget, the file was made from traditional Bengali mats and jute. CM Suvendu Adhikari and Swapan Dasgupta also performed a puja before presenting the budget in the Assembly, marking a symbolic beginning for the BJP dispensation in the state.

“The budget had been framed with the objective of building a ‘modern, progressive and developed Bengal’ in line with the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’,” Dasgupta said.

20% DA hike brings total DA to 38% from October 1, 2026

In line with the BJP’s manifesto promise, Finance Minister Dasgupta announced a 20 percentage point hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) for government employees and dearness relief for pensioners, effective October 1.

“The Dearness Allowance (DA) for government employees has been increased by 20 per cent, bringing the total DA to 38 per cent. This will come into effect from October 1,” Dasgupta said in the Legislative Assembly.

The hike will narrow the gap between DA for state government employees and their central government counterparts by 22 percentage points, a move expected to benefit hundreds of thousands of state workers and pensioners across the state.

1 lakh govt vacancies to be filled, 33% reserved for women

Projecting employment generation as a key pillar of the new government’s agenda, Minister Dasgupta announced that one lakh vacancies in government departments would be filled in phases, including:

  • 20,000 posts in the police department
  • 50,000 teaching and non-teaching positions in schools
  • The budget also introduced inclusive recruitment provisions
  • 33% of the jobs will be reserved for women
  • 10% quota for Agniveers wherever applicable

The upper age limit for government recruitment, already relaxed by five years, will continue for the next two years.

“Building a corruption-free administrative structure is a cornerstone of our vision. We have to restore people’s trust in governance,” Dasgupta said, announcing a new citizen outreach initiative titled ‘Apnar Sarkar, Apnar Pashe’.

Annapurna Yojana: Rs 36,000 crore outlay, beneficiaries reduced from 2.4 cr to 1 cr

A major chunk of welfare expenditure was earmarked for the ‘Annapurna Yojna’, a revamped version of the erstwhile ‘Lakshmir Bhandar scheme’, with Rs 36,000 crore allocated for FY 2026-27. Under the scheme, women aged between 25 and 60 years will receive direct financial assistance of Rs 3,000 per month into their bank accounts.

However, the beneficiary count will fall significantly from around 2.4 crore under the TMC administration to 1 crore under the BJP government. According to budget calculations, the allocation would only be sufficient to cover one crore beneficiaries at the promised assistance level.

Government said the scheme has been designed with revised eligibility norms and enhanced verification mechanisms aimed at ensuring that benefits reach intended recipients and eliminating alleged duplication. The state government has said it already weeded out 30 lakh beneficiaries based on verification.

“Our objective is to ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach the weakest sections of society. Necessary reforms will be undertaken wherever required,” Dasgupta said, seeking to reassure beneficiaries that welfare programmes would not be curtailed.

Additional welfare measures: Unemployment assistance, pension enhancements and more in Bengal budget

The budget introduced Bharosa, a new unemployment assistance programme that provides Rs 3,000 per month to unemployed graduates from families with annual incomes below Rs 1 lakh, and Rs 2,000 per month to other eligible unemployed persons who are not covered by any other social welfare scheme. It clarified that the scheme targets students whose family income is less than Rs 1 lakh per year and who do not receive benefits from existing social protection schemes. Several pension enhancements were announced: old-age, widow, and disability pensions are increased by Rs 500 per month, retired journalists will receive a monthly pension of Rs 5,000, and those who were jailed in politically motivated or false cases will get Rs 10,000 monthly.

Worker remunerations were also boosted: Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, and para-teachers will receive an additional Rs 5,000 per month, while mid-day meal cooks will get an extra Rs 1,000 per month. Civic volunteers, Green Police personnel, NVF workers, Prani Bandhu, and Prani Mitra workers will receive an additional Rs 2,000 per month starting August 2026.

“I am proposing the establishment of a plantation workers’ union board. It will oversee various welfare projects for tea garden workers. A proposal has been put forward to increase the salary of Civic Volunteers, Village Police, and Green Police by 2,000 taka starting from August 2026,” Dasgupta said.

Education, Health, Infrastructure: Major investments announced

The education sector received major attention, including plans for a Tribal University, two Kendriya Vidyalayas in Jhargram, and women’s universities in Contai, Kaliachak and Falta. The budget proposes a one-time grant of Rs 25,000 for students of government and government-aided colleges preparing for competitive exams, Rs 50,000 one-time financial assistance for unmarried female students to reduce higher-education dropouts, and Rs 3,000 each to women under the Annapurna Scheme. It also includes facilitation for establishing an IIT and an IIM in North Bengal, launch of a state Artificial Intelligence Mission, and installation of sanitary pad vending machines in schools.

Health and infrastructure measures were significant as well: Rs 3,100 crore has been allocated for Ayushman Bharat, expected to cover nearly seven crore people, and the mid-day meal allocation was increased by Rs 10 per student with ISKCON assisting in preparation and distribution. Major infrastructure investments include Rs 900 crore for the Chingrighata–New Town elevated corridor, Rs 1,200 crore for a new bridge over the Bhagirathi, a deep-sea port at Dadanpatrabar, a four-lane bridge over the Mayurakshi in Birbhum, metro rail projects in Durgapur, Asansol and Siliguri, and a techno-economic survey for metro connectivity in Durgapur, Asansol, Siliguri and Jalpaiguri.

Aviation and energy

  • Greenfield airport near Kalyani: Govt will identify 1,000–1,500 acres of land near Kalyani to set up a new airport to ease pressure on Kolkata airport
  • Airports proposed in Purulia and Malda
  • Land earmarked for expansion of Hasimara and Kalaikunda airfields
  • 2 lakh rooftop solar systems under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, with Rs 100 crore allocated
  • SC/ST families will be provided an additional subsidy of Rs 5,000 on power consumption

“Kolkata Airport is facing significant passenger congestion, and there is a need for a second Airport in Kolkata to boost the regional economy. Government will identify 1,000-1,500 acres of land near Kalyani to set up a new green field airport near Kolkata,” Dasgupta said.

“To promote solar energy adoption and empower village communities to achieve energy self-reliance, PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which offers financial subsidies to domestic consumers for installing rooftop solar power systems, will be implemented in the state with the target of 2 lakh rooftop solar installations,” he added.

Cultural and sports initiatives

Cultural Events Transformed into National Festivals- The government proposed to transform Gangasagar Mela into an international, spiritual and cultural festival in collaboration with the Centre. Similarly, Jagadhatri Puja, Tarakeshwar Mela, Baruni Mela, Rash Mela, Jalpesh Mela and other events will be transformed into national events.

“I am initiating the process of making all government systems paperless,” Dasgupta told the House.

A synthetic athletic track of global standards is being built at Jalpaiguri’s Biswa Bangla Krirangan, with a reported cost of ₹10 crore, and officials said it will become the second international-standard athletics facility in Bengal after Salt Lake Stadium. Separate reporting also mentions a modern stadium announced for Siliguri/North Bengal, linked to Richa Ghosh, with international-standard features. The broader sports package in your text also refers to a new Sports University, mini indoor stadiums, club assistance, and Khelo India funding, but I could not verify all those specific figures from the available reporting.

Welfare and transport

The Pink Card proposal says women will be able to travel free on government buses, with the card used to issue zero-fare tickets, and temporary use of Aadhaar or voter ID before full rollout has also been reported. This matches your note about Rs 550 crore for free bus travel for women under a Pink Card system.

Measures aimed at boosting North Bengal’s economy included reducing the minimum land requirement for commercial tea estates from 30 acres to 15 acres. The government also proposed expanding the ‘Maa Aahar programme’ by opening four additional centres in urban areas, where fish-and-rice meals would be available at nominal rates.

The first BJP budget in West Bengal thus combines fiscal discipline, employment generation, and targeted welfare, with the 20% DA hike, 1 lakh government vacancies, and Rs 36,000 crore for women under Annapurna Yojana standing out as the flagship commitments of the new administration.