West Bengal's New Budget Session: A Financial Perspective

West Bengal is set for its budget session, beginning June 18, with the full state budget slated for June 22, announced Speaker Rathindra Bose. This session marks a significant milestone for the newly elected BJP government in the state, under the leadership of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who also manages the Finance portfolio.

The previous TMC government had put a vote-on-account in place in February due to assembly elections, an interim measure valid for four months. Now, with a full-fledged budget on the horizon, the state government has called upon all departments to start their preparations, in accordance with the new government's policy priorities and flagship programs.

A senior official noted that efforts are underway to control borrowings while enhancing spending on infrastructure to build long-term assets. Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal has engaged in discussions with senior Finance Department officials to address these priorities, focusing on administrative and financial reforms, as they review the allocations under the vote-on-account budget.

(With inputs from agencies.)