Let’s overcome despair, reclaim Bengal’s glory: Min
Times of India | 24 June 2026
Kolkata: A day after presenting the BJP govt's first Bengal budget, finance minister Swapan Dasgupta said the positive response reflected renewed hope after "50 years of despair". Speaking on Tuesday at Lions Safari Park, Dasgupta said many Bengalis had long felt the state offered little future for their families.
"The budget appears great because the people of Bengal had given up hope. The despair was palpable, especially among the elderly, who felt their children had moved away and they would never spend time with their grandchildren," he said.
Dasgupta said the budget aimed to reclaim Bengal's "lost glory" while shifting focus from nostalgia to the future. "Kolkata cannot remain a place with a glorious past and uncertain future. We must rebuild Bengal," he said. Panchayat and rural development minister Dilip Ghosh praised the budget as key to Bengal's role in India's growth ambitions. He said many Bengal-origin businessmen who had moved to Mumbai, Delhi and other cities were considering returning and would be welcomed. tnn