West Bengal Tables Rs 4.06 Lakh Crore Interim Budget

In Kolkata on Thursday, the West Bengal government presented an interim budget of Rs 4.06 lakh crore for the 2026-27 financial year, featuring a Rs 500 monthly increase in financial assistance under the flagship Lakshmir Bhandar scheme for women, alongside new support for unemployed youth and workers, as the state approaches its 2026 Assembly elections.

Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya tabled the vote-on-account budget in the state Assembly, emphasizing aid for women, youth and informal sector workers. The Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, which provides direct cash transfers to economically vulnerable women aged 25 to 60 from households enrolled in the Swasthya Sathi health program, now offers Rs 1,500 per month to women from general category families, up from Rs 1,000, and Rs 1,700 to those from SC, ST or OBC categories, up from Rs 1,200. The changes take effect from February 2026 and include an additional annual allocation of Rs 15,000 crore. Launched in February 2021, the program currently benefits about 2.21 crore women, with the government reporting 20.62 lakh new applications received recently.

The budget also introduced the Banglar Yuva Sathi scheme, offering Rs 1,500...