Bengal’s first BJP Budget likely to balance welfare spend, debt reduction and industry reforms

The BJP government’s first full Budget in West Bengal, to be presented in the Assembly on Monday (June 22, 2026), is expected to strike a balance between sustaining welfare commitments and pursuing fiscal consolidation amid one of the heaviest debt burdens among major States.

Officials said the budget is likely to adhere to the BJP’s poll promises while signalling a shift from cash transfer-led welfare measures towards employment generation, industrial growth and revenue mobilisation.

In its Interim Budget earlier this year, the previous TMC government had estimated expenditure of ₹4.06 lakh crore, of which ₹1.68 lakh crore, or 41.4%, was earmarked for the social sector.

– PTI