Laying out a Rs 4.06 lakh crore interim Budget, weeks ahead of the Assembly elections in West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government has doled out cash sops to women and youths, and also hiked Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees by another 4 per cent.
The TMC’s core vote bank, women, received most of the government’s largesse – Rs 500 hike in the monthly grant under Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, and a Rs 1,000 increase in the wages of ASHA and Anganwadi workers.
Presenting the interim Budget, also called vote-on-account, in the Assembly, Minister of State for Finance Chandrima Bhattacharya on Thursday said that Rs 15,000 crore has been set aside for Lakshmir Bhandar scheme till the formation of the next government, when a full-fledged Budget will be presented.
With the latest hike, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women will get Rs 1,700 per month, and other beneficiaries of Lakshmir Bhandar scheme will receive Rs 1,500 every month from February, she added.
While increasing the monthly remuneration of ASHA and Anganwadi workers by Rs 1,000, Bhattacharya said that they will be entitled to maternity leave of 180 days from April onwards. In addition, the next of kin of an ASHA and Anganwadi workers will be entitled to a one-time compensation of Rs 5 lakh in case of death before attaining the age of 60 years, she said.
The minister said Rs 100 crore has been allotted in the interim Budget for ASHA workers and Rs 250 crore for Anganwadi workers.
The minister also announced a new scheme — ‘Banglar Yuva Sathi’ — for unemployed youths. Under the scheme, Rs 1,500 monthly allowance will be paid to unemployed people in the 21-40 years age group till they get jobs or for a period of up to five years.
“The scheme will be launched from August 15 if the Trinamool Congress returns to power,” Bhattacharya said, adding Rs 5,000 crore will be allotted in the next financial year’s Budget.
The TMC government also announced an increase of Rs 1,000 in the monthly salary of para-teachers, shiksha bandhus, sahayaks/sahayikas, samprasaraks, mukhya samprasaraks, special educators, and management staff will be increased by Rs. 1,000 from April. Their next of kin will be entitled to a one-time compensation of Rs 5 lakh in case of death before attaining the age of 60 years,” Bhattacharya said.
The government also allotted Rs 2,000 crore for the Mahatmasree Scheme, earlier known as Karmashree. The scheme for 100-day rural job guarantee was launched by the TMC government in the state after the BJP government at the Centre did not release the state’s share of funds for MGNREGA.
Speaking at a post-Budget press conference, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the Budget “pro-people”. “It’s not directionless and rudderless like the Union Budget,” the chief minister said, maintaining that the state adhered to fiscal discipline even while expanding social sector spending.
“Despite the state being financially deprived by the Centre, we have brought in a pro-people budget. Our commitments have not been compromised, and all promises have been fulfilled. This is not an election gimmick… Our budget reflects financial discipline. We have balanced welfare spending with fiscal prudence,” she said.
BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, however, criticised the Budget, saying, “An interim budget cannot be a shopping list of election bribes.”