Kolkata, Feb 6 (PTI) West Bengal Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya on Friday said the vote-on-account tabled in the state Assembly was pro-people and unique.
Replying to a debate in the Assembly, Bhattacharya claimed that while the Union Budget had no direction and contained nothing for Bengal, the state Budget was aligned with the policy of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The state government on Thursday tabled a Rs 4.06 lakh crore interim budget for the fiscal year 2026-27, proposing an addition of Rs 500 per month for women beneficiaries under the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme and launching a Rs 1,500 monthly stipend for unemployed youth.
Referring to the comments by the leader of the opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, and economist Ashok Lahiri, the state finance minister said they were misleading the House.
“Their allegations about social welfare schemes like widow pension being scrapped to continue schemes like Lakshmir Bhandar is wrong and misleading. Lakshmir Bhandar, widow pension and old age pension are available,” she said.
About Adhikari’s claim that the state had effectively shelved the previous Yuvasree project for the youth and introduced Yuvasathi in its place, Bhattacharya said the two projects were different. “While Yuvasathi, as mentioned in the Budget, would come into force immediately, the Yuvasree project would also continue,” she added.
“Rs 180 crore had already been spent for Yuvasree project, which had been continuing, and those not covered under the project will get Yuvasathi if they don’t have gainful employment,” she said.
Taking exception to Lahiri calling the state Budget ‘Humpty Dumpty’, she said, “We had consistently run and introduced new social welfare projects which reached 100 already. What you (BJP) could do in 12 years?” Countering the claims of the BJP, she said West Bengal had a fiscal deficit of 2.91 per cent, while the Centre had a fiscal deficit of 4.3 per cent in its Budget.
Accusing the Centre of not releasing GST dues and freight rationalisation funds, she said the state condemned the imposition of surcharge and the taking away of its money.
Bhattacharya said the state was not getting central project dues under schemes like Jal Jeevan Mission and had to fund the projects with its own resources.
“This has forced us to go for supplementary budgets for funding projects which are to be borne on 60:40 ratio by Centre but they have blocked the funds,” she said.
Stating that the vote-on-account was also aimed at uplift of tribals, SC, ST and other backward communities, she said, “We helped 12 lakh tribals financially.” “When the BJP accuses us of overlooking tribals, let me say we did not see similar thinking in the central Budget,” she added.
Earlier, opposing the vote-on-account, Adhikari said, “Before elections, only the existing projects are passed at vote on account. Here the vote on account has been reduced to an election leaflet.” “We don’t know when elections will be held, possibly during April-June, and while so many new schemes were unlawfully announced, the number of beneficiaries and how much they got in earlier projects have been clearly brushed aside,” he said.
Adhikari said the new scheme for the unemployed was old wine in a new bottle as the CM had already allocated Rs 1,500 for every youth in an earlier scheme in 2013.
“In 2013, the then finance minister had announced it. The CM had said we have brought Yuvasree after Kanyashree. This will be for unemployed youth. This is total deception,” he said.
“I have the record of that speech of the CM, if required I can submit it,” Adhikari told the Speaker.
Adhikari said while states like Bihar and Odisha give cess on diesel, in Bengal the fuel price was rising as the state did not adopt steps under its control.
“While 74 lakh farmers are eligible under PM Kisan scheme, the state sent names of 54 lakh,” he said.
Adhikari also demanded a rise in pension for former MLAs.
Calling for unity among all Sanatanis, he said once elected to power BJP would grant Rs 3,000 each month for every underprivileged woman in the state.
Later, Bhattacharya presented a motion for a supplementary grant worth over Rs 16,994 crore. PTI SUS MNB
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.