Budget curtain raiser: Govt stress likely on rural development

 Chandrima Bhattacharya, state finance minister will present the budget for 2025-26 in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly tomorrow.

SNS | Kolkata | February 11, 2025 : Chandrima Bhattacharya, state finance minister will present the budget for 2025-26 in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly tomorrow.

This will be the last full fledged Budget of the present government before the Assembly election which is scheduled to be held in 2026. Next year, the state government will present a vote on accounts.

The deprivation of the Centre in releasing funds has become a major issue. In 2024, Trinamul Congress team, comprising MPs, tried to meet the minister of state for rural development in New Delhi along with some workers engaged in 100-days’ work in 2024. The minister did not meet the delegation and they were forced to leave her office by the police. The workers reached New Delhi by bus as the railway authorities cancelled their booking to reserve a train at the last moment.

The state government has cleared their dues. Also, the Centre did not give the money meant for rural housing (Aawas Yojana). The state government has paid one instalment to the beneficiaries and the second instalment will be paid soon.

In an unprecedented move, the Governor in his address at the beginning of the Budget Session has spoken about the deprivation of the centre.

The state government is likely to give stress on rural development in the Budget. Already Lakshmir Bhandar has received huge support from women. Sabuj Sathi which was announced in 2015 Budget has helped the students greatly and more than 1 crore students from state-run, aided and madrasas studying in Class IX onwards have received cycles free-of-cost.

The crop insurance has helped the farmers immensely. Supplying drinking water to every household is a major challenge to the state government and by 2026 major areas in the state will be covered.

The state government is likely to announce some schemes for rural development. As the Assembly election will be held in 2026, the state government will try to bring schemes that help the rural populace and help them to earn more.