This budget marks a definitive shift toward addressing youth unemployment and strengthening public service sectors like education and law enforcement across West Bengal.
Shoib Moin / Kolkata
The West Bengal government on Monday unveiled its first full Budget for 2026-27, placing a strong emphasis on employment generation, social welfare and infrastructure development while announcing a series of measures aimed at boosting public spending and supporting household incomes.
Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta announced plans to fill one lakh vacancies across state government departments, with one-third of the positions reserved for women. The recruitment drive will include 50,000 teaching and education-related posts and 20,000 positions in the police force. The government also extended the existing upper-age relaxation for job applicants by two years and introduced a 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers in applicable state recruitments.
In a significant move for government employees, the Budget raised Dearness Allowance (DA) by 20 percentage points, taking the total DA to 38 per cent from October 1. Pensioners will receive a corresponding increase in Dearness Relief, while monthly honorariums for Civic Volunteers, Home Guards, Green Police personnel and NVM workers have been enhanced by ₹2,000.
On the welfare front, the state allocated ₹36,000 crore for the Annapurna Scheme and introduced a new financial assistance programme, Sangrami Bhata, aimed at individuals who claim to have faced politically motivated legal cases. The MLA Local Area Development Fund has also been increased from ₹70 lakh to ₹1 crore per constituency to accelerate grassroots development projects.
Infrastructure emerged as another key pillar of the Budget. The government proposed the development of a greenfield airport near Kalyani to serve the greater Kolkata region and plans to identify 1,000-1,500 acres of land for the project. Additional regional airports have been proposed in Purulia, Balurghat and Malda, signalling a broader push to improve regional connectivity.
The Budget also includes proposals to transfer 25 acres of land to Hasimara Air Force Station and 37 acres to Kalaikunda Air Force Station to support the expansion of the two strategic defence installations.
The spending blueprint underscores the state’s focus on employment creation, welfare support and long-term infrastructure investment ahead of a crucial phase of economic and social development.
Key Highlights of the Recruitment Drive
- Major Boost for Women: To promote gender inclusivity, 33% of all new positions will be strictly reserved for women.
- Focus on Education & Security:
- 50,000 posts are dedicated to teachers and educational staff.
- 20,000 appointments will be made within the State Police Department.
- Age Relaxation Extended: In a major relief for job seekers, the government is extending the existing 5-year upper age limit relaxation by an additional 2 years.
- Quota for Agniveers: A 10% job reservation has been introduced for Agniveers in applicable state government sectors.