Bengal Budget 2026: 1 Lakh Govt Jobs Announced, 33% Quota for Women

West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta tabled the BJP government's first full budget in the Assembly on Monday, June 22, 2026, unveiling a series of major announcements. The centerpiece of the budget is a pledge to fill one lakh vacant government positions, with one-third of those posts reserved for women candidates. Dasgupta specifically noted that 20,000 vacancies in the state police force will be filled as part of this drive.

A significant allocation of ₹36,000 crore has been made for the Annapurna Yojana, a financial assistance scheme targeting women. An additional ₹550 crore will fund a free bus travel scheme for women, and the government plans to introduce a "Pink Card" for female beneficiaries in the near future.

Addressing the Assembly, Dasgupta said the government's mission is to restore the state's glory and build a "Viksit Bengal" as part of a "Viksit Bharat." He announced a ₹50,000 scholarship for girl students in state-run and state-aided schools. The MLA local area development fund will see a raise from ₹70 lakh to ₹1 crore annually.

On the infrastructure front, the government will allocate land for new Navodaya Vidyalayas and establish new women's colleges. Sanitary vending machines will be installed at college campuses. A greenfield airport near Kolkata and an integrated deep sea port at Dadanpatrabarh in Purba Medinipur are also in the pipeline.

Government employees received good news with a 20% hike in dearness allowance, effective from October. Cook-cum-helpers under the PM POSHAN Scheme will see their honorarium increase by ₹1,000. The state's outstanding debt, estimated at over ₹7.5 lakh crore, and a debt-to-GSDP ratio of around 38% remain fiscal challenges, with interest payments consuming nearly ₹49,000 crore annually. Separately, the government plans to introduce two Bills in the Assembly to tackle public disorder and attacks on police and public servants.

📰 Source: The Hindu National