West Bengal Finance minister Swapan Dasgupta to present the state budget today. (File photo)

Close to two months after the BJP’s win in West Bengal, ending Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule, the government is all geared up to present its first budget for the state today. The 2026-27 budget, to be presented by Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta, is expected to strike a balance between fulfilling welfare commitments and pursuing fiscal consolidation, aiming to improve the state of affairs in one of the most debt-ridden states.

Budget focus area: Industry and employment are likely to be in focus in this budget as the government aims to attract huge investments and boost economic activity. According to the officials, the government is expected to adhere to its poll promises while marking a shift from cash-transfer-led welfare schemes towards industrial growth, job creation and revenue mobilisation, reported news agency PTI. However, the social sector expenditure is unlikely to undergo any significant reduction, PTI cited a financial department official as saying.

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About the last budget: In the interim budget presented earlier this year, the previous TMC government had projected an expenditure of Rs 4.06 lakh crore, of which Rs 1.68 lakh crore was earmarked for the social sector. It had also allocated more than Rs 42,000 crore to the Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department, with a substantial portion linked to the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. The newly-elected BJP government has started replacing the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme with the Annapurna Yojana, under which the beneficiaries are entitled to higher monthly monetary assistance.

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