West Bengal Renames State Housing Scheme as 'Paschim Banga Awas'

PTI, August 6, 2026, Kolkata: Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday announced that the state Cabinet has renamed the housing scheme ‘Banglar Bari’ as ‘Paschim Banga Awas’ and released the final instalment of financial assistance to more than 10 lakh beneficiaries.

Launching the transfer of the second and final tranche of funds at Nabanna, the state secretariat, Adhikari said 10,20,379 beneficiaries received Rs 60,000 each under the housing scheme, involving a total outlay of over Rs 6,000 crore.

"We have decided in the Cabinet that the name ‘Banglar Bari’ will be known as ‘Paschim Banga Awas’," the Chief Minister said.

Adhikari said the first instalment of funds would be released to several lakh new beneficiaries immediately after the Durga Puja festival in October.

Under the scheme, beneficiaries receive financial assistance of Rs 1.20 lakh in two instalments for the construction of houses.

According to the CM, around 20 lakh new applicants had already been enrolled under the scheme, and more names would be added.

"There is a huge heritage linked to the name Paschim Banga (West Bengal), as during the 1947 Partition of the country, there was a conspiracy to make it part of East Pakistan, but it was foiled under the leadership of Syama Prasad Mookerjee," he said.

The Chief Minister said the Cabinet had also decided that the word "West" would not be dropped from the state's name, asserting that future generations should be aware of the historical reasons behind it.