BJP terms West Bengal Budget for 2025-26 'visionless'

According to former chief economic advisor to the Union government Ashok Kumar Lahiri, who is currently a BJP legislator, the budget speech by the West Bengal minister in charge of finance department (independent charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya carefully omits important figures on the parameters of fiscal health of the state like fiscal deficit, accumulated debt and interest payments on debt.

"Fiscal deficit in 2024-25 as per the revised estimates has surpassed the figure that was projected in the budget estimates for the same fiscal last year. Similarly, the accumulated debt of the state government is increasing at such an alarming stage. But the state government is always in a denial mode and refuses to accept such alarming statistical data," Lahiri told media persons while giving his reactions on the budget proposals," Lahiri said.

West Bengal unit BJP president and Union Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar claimed that although keeping in mind the assembly polls in state next year, a four percentage point increase in the dearness allowance for the state government employees has been announced, "this increase was nothing but an eyewash keeping in mind the huge gap with the dearness allowance enjoyed by the Union government employees".

"The state finance minister has not announced any increase there was no proposal for increase in the amount paid under Lakshmir Bhandar, the monthly dole scheme for women in the state, I doubt that the Chief Minister might make an out-of-statement announcement for increasing the same before the assembly elections next year," Majumdar said.

According to the leader of the opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, from the budget speech it is evident that the current state government is 'bankrupt'.

"There is no proposal for industrialisation and employment generation," he said.