DA hike, 1.7 lakh jobs, new airport headline Swapan Dasgupta’s Bengal budget

A 38 per cent dearness allowance for state government employees, recruitment to fill 1 lakh vacant posts, and a new airport near Kolkata are highlights of the budget announcements by West Bengal’s new Finance Minister, Swapan Dasgupta, today. Dasgupta said there is an urgent need to improve the state’s investment climate by reducing the ‘cost of doing business’ and said the state government will bring a law to safeguard businesses from “‘syndicate charges’ and other informal extortions’. The Trinamool Congress regime, which was voted out of power, was accused of running ‘syndicates’ in the state to facilitate political extortions and this emerged as a key plank of the BJP’s political attacks in the run-up to the election.

Addressing the Assembly, Dasgupta said the Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government in Bengal has inherited a debt burden of Rs 8.15 lakh crore from the Mamata Banerjee administration, which was voted out last month. He said all welfare schemes brought by the previous government would continue.

The Finance Minister announced that one lakh vacant posts in the state government will be filled up and 33 per cent of these positions will be reserved for women. He also announced plans to fill up 50,000 teachers’ posts and 20,000 positions in the police forces. “The state government employees, semi-government employees, teachers and non-teaching staff play an important role in the government’s work and policy implementation. To recognise their contribution, I am happy to announce an additional 20 per cent dearness allowance on top of the current 18 per cent,” he said. The hike in allowance, which would also benefit pensioners, will come into force from October 1.

Dasgupta announced a plan to step up aviation infrastructure in the state. The Kolkata airport, he said, is facing significant passenger rush, and there is a need for a second airport. The state government will identify 1,000-1,500 acres of land near Kalyani – about 60 km from Kolkata – for a new greenfield airport, he said.

The airport in Coochbehar in north Bengal will be expanded, and more land will be provided to Hasimara and Kalaikunda Air Force stations for expansion, he said. The Budget speech also announced plans to start new thermal plants and a semiconductor unit. The state government has also decided to hike the MLA development fund from Rs 70 lakh to 1 crore. On the education front, the minister announced plans for an IIT, an IIM and an AIIMS in north Bengal.

The state government also hiked pensions for the elderly, widows and persons with disabilities by Rs 500 per month. It also proposed an increase in the remuneration for parateachers, Civic Volunteers and Green Police.

Which department topped outlay

The Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare got the maximum allocation in this Bengal budget: Rs 52,308 crore. This includes the Rs 36,000 crore allocated for the Annapurana Yojana, under which eligible women beneficiaries will get Rs 3,000 per month. Next on the allocation list is the Panchayats and Rural Development Department at Rs 51,836 crore, and the School Education Department finished third with an outlay of Rs 44,948.21 crore.

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The Finance Minister also announced that the state government will examine legal provisions to allow shops and restaurants to remain open for 24 hours.

On the tourism and culture front, a Tagore Cultural Centre will be established for the preservation of Rabindranath Tagore’s legacy, Dasgupta said. He said the state government will undertake a tourism branding initiative for Durga Puja and would also work on developing a Shakti Peeth circuit.

The minister said liquor shops won’t be allowed within a one-kilometre radius of hospitals, schools and religious institutions in the state. This radius will be 500 metres in Kolkata. Chief Minister Adhikari said everyone’s needs have been taken care of in the budget with a total outlay of Rs 4.38 lakh crore.