West Bengal Budget 2026: BJP Govt's First Full Budget Promises 1 Lakh Jobs, 38% DA, New Kalyani Airport And Women's Safety Push

West Bengal got its first full Budget under the BJP government on Monday, and Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta didn't hold back on the announcements. Over nearly two hours in the Assembly, he laid out a mix of welfare measures, employment initiatives, infrastructure projects, solar power schemes, and administrative reforms,  all wrapped under the banner of "Viksit Bangla," echoing the Centre's "Viksit Bharat" vision.

The Budget, presented for Financial Year 2026-27, carries a net allocation of Rs 4,38,775.29 crore, marking the first full financial statement of the BJP government in West Bengal since it took office following the Assembly elections. The moment also had a symbolic touch, the Budget file itself was made from traditional Bengali mats and jute, and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Dasgupta performed a puja before walking into the Assembly to present it.

Positioning the Budget as a roadmap for restoring the state's standing, Dasgupta told the House that the government's mission was to restore Bengal's glory while ensuring inclusive development. He acknowledged the scale of the challenge ahead too, telling the Assembly that the government had inherited a debt of Rs 8.15 lakh crore. Ahead of presenting the Budget, he had stressed that the state would look to raise its own tax revenue rather than impose fresh tax burdens on citizens, arguing that better compliance, transparency, and expansion of revenue channels could improve collections on their own.

Jobs And Pay Hikes Take Centre Stage

The headline number from this Budget is jobs. The government has committed to filling one lakh vacancies across state departments, with 33 per cent reserved for women. Within that, 20,000 police posts and 50,000 teaching posts have been specifically earmarked, giving an early sense of where most of the hiring will land. The government also confirmed it will continue all existing social welfare schemes without disruption.

Existing government employees have reason to cheer too. Dearness Allowance (DA) will go up by 20 per cent from October 1, 2026, taking the total DA entitlement to 38 per cent, a jump from the current 18 per cent.

The wage hikes don't stop there. Anganwadi and ASHA workers will see their pay rise by Rs 5,000, mid-day meal cooks will get Rs 1,000 more, and para-teachers in state-run schools will receive an additional Rs 5,000 per month. Civic volunteers, village police personnel, green police workers, and ASHA workers have also been given a Rs 2,000 monthly bump in remuneration.

Welfare Announcements: Cash Support For Students, Journalists And Political Prisoners

A large chunk of the Budget speech was devoted to direct financial assistance for specific groups:

• Unmarried girl students in government and government-aided colleges will get Rs 50,000 in financial assistance.
• Retired journalists will now receive a monthly pension of Rs 5,000.
• Individuals who were jailed or faced what the government described as politically motivated cases will receive a 'Sangrami Bhata' of Rs 10,000 per month.
• The Annapurna Yojna, a women's financial assistance scheme, has been allocated a massive Rs 36,000 crore.
• The annual MLA Local Area Development Fund has been raised from Rs 70 lakh to Rs 1 crore, giving elected representatives more room to fund local projects.
• Mid-day meal allocation per student has been raised to Rs 10, with ISKCON brought in to help with food preparation and distribution.

Women's Safety: All-Woman Police Stations And 'Durga Suraksha Squads'

Security for women got specific, standalone attention in this Budget. The government announced an all-woman police station in every subdivision across the state, alongside a women's help desk at every police station. A new force called Durga Suraksha Squads — made up entirely of women police personnel — will be deployed to patrol busy city areas and public places.

Administratively, a new police district will be created in Kanthi, East Medinipur, as part of a broader push to tighten policing infrastructure across the state.

Education And Healthcare Get A Major Push

Education featured heavily in the announcements:

• A tribal university will be established in Jhargram.
• Broader measures aimed at improving opportunities for women and students through financial assistance and enhanced security infrastructure were also flagged.
• A sports university will be set up, along with a new stadium in north Bengal; clubs participating in national games will get Rs 1 crore each.
• The government plans to set up an IIT and IIM in north Bengal.

On healthcare, the Budget proposes increasing MBBS seats by 650 across 13 medical colleges in the state. Bengal will also get an AIIMS and a cancer hospital in north Bengal, with new medical colleges planned for Alipurduar and Paschim Bardhaman. For patients travelling out of state for treatment, the government announced low-cost stay arrangements for those heading to Mumbai and Vellore.

New Kalyani Airport To Ease Kolkata's Passenger Load

One of the most attention-grabbing announcements of the day came on aviation. Making the case for it directly in the House, Dasgupta said Kolkata Airport is facing significant passenger congestion, and argued that the city needs a second airport to support the wider regional economy. The government will now move to identify 1,000 to 1,500 acres of land near Kalyani to set up this new greenfield airport, intended to take pressure off Kolkata's existing facility.

This isn't the only airport project on the table. Additional airport projects have been proposed in Purulia, Balurghat and Malda to improve regional air connectivity, under the Centre's UDAAN scheme, while Cooch Behar airport will be expanded.

Solar Power Push: 2 Lakh Rooftop Installations Under PM Surya Ghar Yojana

In a move that ties directly into the BJP's poll promise to roll out central schemes in the state, Dasgupta announced that West Bengal will implement the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the Centre's flagship rooftop solar subsidy scheme that offers financial subsidies to domestic consumers for installing rooftop solar systems. The state has set a target of 2 lakh rooftop solar installations, aimed at promoting solar energy adoption and helping village communities achieve energy self-reliance.

To back this up, the government has allocated Rs 100 crore for grid-connected rooftop solar PV power generation systems. Dasgupta added that the state would also work on an Open Access policy to encourage greater generation and consumption of solar power, with the dual goal of making power more affordable for industry and helping the state meet its climate goals. As part of the scheme, SC/ST families will get an additional subsidy of Rs 5,000 on their power consumption.

Infrastructure And Connectivity: Elevated Corridors, A Deep Sea Port And More

Beyond airports and solar power, the government announced a string of big-ticket connectivity and technology projects:

• Rs 900 crore for the Chingrighata-New Town elevated corridor
• Rs 1,200 crore for a new bridge over the Bhagirathi river
• An integrated deep sea port at Dadanpatrabarh, Purba Medinipur
• Rs 1,200 crore allocated to the Ghatal Master Plan, a flood management project for the Medinipur region
• Rs 100 crore for communication infrastructure in the Sunderbans, and Rs 50 crore for riverbank protection and rehabilitation work in Jangipur
• A dedicated Bengal AI Mission to promote technology, innovation and digital growth
• A proposed semiconductor unit in Durgapur and an IT park in Siliguri
• A plan to revive the Calcutta Stock Exchange
• A re-examination of the Urban Land Ceiling and Regulation Act to unlock investment potential in the state

Administrative Reforms: Five New Districts, Toll-Free Grievance Helpline

On the governance side, the Budget proposes the creation of five new districts in West Bengal, along with a dedicated Tea Workers Development Board to look after the welfare and development of tea garden workers.

For everyday citizens, the government is launching a new toll-free grievance redressal platform called 'Apnar Sarkar Apnar Pashe.' Citizens can register complaints through the helpline number 82820 82820.

The Political Framing

Throughout his speech, Dasgupta repeatedly tied the Budget back to the BJP's larger national vision, saying the government's mission was to restore the state's glory while building a "Viksit Bengal" in step with the Centre's Viksit Bharat goal. Ahead of the presentation, BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh had set expectations for the Budget in three words: "Relief, reform, and reconstruction."

This Budget marks the first full financial statement of the BJP government in West Bengal since it assumed office following the Assembly elections, and it sets the tone for how the party intends to position itself on welfare, women's safety, and infrastructure heading into the rest of its term.

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