A significant announcement was made regarding the dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees in West Bengal.
During the state budget presentation, Chandrima Bhattacharya, the Minister of State for Finance, revealed that DA will be increased by 4%. This increase will take effect from April 1, 2025.
Protests and Expectations
State government employees had been protesting frequently over the DA for a long time.
Many expected the DA increase to be announced in the last budget before the 2026 assembly elections.
However, the Mamata Banerjee-led government proposed this increase during the budget session itself.
Additional Benefits and Reactions
Along with the DA increase, the government will also provide mobile phones to Anganwadi and Asha workers.
With the 4% increase, government employees will receive a total of 18% DA from April 1, 2024.
The opposition party, BJP, opposed the budget, claiming it lacked new employment opportunities and walked out of the assembly.
Key Announcements in the 2024-25 Budget
Several important initiatives were announced as part of the state budget for the 2024-25 financial year:
Bengal Housing Scheme
A major housing project, Banglar Bari, will build 16 lakh houses in the next year. An additional Rs 9,600 crore has been allocated, bringing the total to Rs 23,000 crore.
Road and Bridge Construction
The budget included Rs 1,500 crore for road construction under the Pathashree project and Rs 500 crore for the construction of the Gangasagar bridge, which will be 4.75 km long.
Employment and Water Management
The River Interconnection Project aims to create more employment opportunities by connecting rivers and water bodies, with a budget of Rs 200 crore.
Another Rs 200 crore has been set aside to create a master plan to stop river erosion.
Schemes for Anganwadi and Asha Workers
As part of the budget, mobile phones will be provided to Anganwadi and Asha workers, with a budget of Rs 200 crore allocated for this.
Election-Year Budget
This is the last full budget of Mamata Banerjee’s government before the 2026 assembly elections.
While the amount for the Lakshmi Bhandar Yojana remains unchanged, Rs 500 crore has been allocated for the Ghatal Master Plan, which will be completed in the next two years.
While the government emphasizes development and employment growth, the opposition has criticized the budget as incomplete and not people-friendly.
