The Bengal Story Bureau: KOLKATA: West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta announced on Monday that all public welfare schemes introduced by the previous administration will continue to operate across the state. Presenting the first budget of the new government, Dasgupta clarified that while these initiatives remain active, the administration will introduce necessary modifications to improve their implementation.
The minister emphasized that the structural changes aim to ensure that financial assistance reaches the most vulnerable segments of society. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had previously assured the public that ongoing welfare initiatives would not be terminated following the change in governance.
Modifications and Rebranding of Core Schemes
Among the key adjustments, the financial assistance program for women, Lakshmir Bhandar, is being aligned with the newly introduced Annapurna Yojana to distribute cash aid to eligible beneficiaries under verified guidelines. The state is also set to implement the central healthcare infrastructure project, Ayushman Bharat, which was previously unavailable in West Bengal.
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The administration confirmed that financial support initiatives for students and alternative assistance programs for unemployed youths will remain fully operational under the revised fiscal framework.
Employment Initiatives and Relief for State Staff
Apart from the welfare updates, the state budget introduced major financial relief measures for the public sector workforce. The government announced a 20 percent increase in Dearness Allowance for all state government employees, a benefit that will extend to pensioners across West Bengal.
To address public sector vacancies, Finance Minister Dasgupta declared that the government will initiate recruitment drives for one lakh official positions. The new employment framework will feature a mandatory 33 percent reservation for women across all newly announced state government vacancies.
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