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The West Bengal Assembly Budget session began on Thursday, amid chaos over the state song being played and Bharatiya Janata Party legislators singing the national anthem simultaneously.

 

Speaker Biman Banerjee after entering the House instructed officials to play the state song 'Banglar Mati Banglar Jal' before the beginning of the state budget session.

 

As the song was being played, BJP legislators stood up and started singing the national anthem.

 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the BJP for insulting the national anthem.

 

“National anthem is being played at the end. The BJP singing the national anthem when the state song is being played is an insult to the national anthem,” Banerjee said.

 

She even accused the BJP of being anti-Bengal. “They are against Bengal. This is the reason why they are not letting us present the budget. This is assembly, not the BJP party house that they will create such nuisance.”

 

BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, however, countered and said the national anthem is always both the beginning and end of any government programme or budget session.

 

Turning to the budget, State Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya presented a 3,66,166 crore budget. In her speech, she trained her guns at the Centre for withholding state’s funds, which amounts to Rs 1.18 lakh crore. In a recent development, the Trinamool Congress government had staged a demonstration against the Centre for not clearing dues of 100 days of work. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had announced that she is not dependent on alms from the Central government and, thus, the state government will pay the workers. With respect to this, the finance minister has issues Rs 3,700 crore to clear the dues of 21 lakh state MGNREGA workers. Instead, the state government has come up with a 50 Days of work scheme for the MGNREGA workers. The scheme has been termed Karmashree.   

 

 

As this year’s budget has been termed Gender and Child Budget, Rs 21,380 crore has been allotted for 2024-25 in terms of gender budget. This has 100 per cent women specific schemes. Rs 74,891 crore allotted for schemes with 30 per cent to 99 per cent dedicated to the development and empowerment of women, which amounts to Rs 96,271 crore. 

 

Key highlights:

 

Lakshmir Bhandar 

 

There has been an increment in the amount of money, which the state government gives to women hailing from general and SC/ST sections of the society on a monthly basis. General category women will now get Rs 1,000 (earlier the amount was Rs 500), and those from the SC/ST category will get Rs 1200, which is Rs 200 more from the previous amount. Lakshmir Bhandar is a flagship scheme of the West Bengal government to financially support women from economically weaker sections of the society. With the help of the scheme, the stat government tries to empower women of the state.

 

Kanyashree Prakalpa

 

Finance minister announced that Rs 500, which was given as an annual scholarship to girls between the sage of 13 to 17 years to support their education has been increased to  Rs 1000. The state government had come with the  Kanyashree Prakalpa to support girls to continue with their education, so that they are not forcibly married by their family members to reduce financial burden.     

 

Dearness Allowance 

 

An additional four per cent DA for state government employees has been allotted by the government. This will be applicable from the month of May. Four per cent DA was already granted by the Mamata Banerjee-led government in January.

 

Civic Volunteers

 

An increment of Rs 1000 in the salaries of civic volunteers, village and green police has been announced. The possibility of inducting them under state police has been increased to 20 per cent, which was 10 per cent earlier.

 

Flyover connecting airport

 

Rs 728 crore has been designated to build a flyover that will increase road connectivity to the airport.