West Bengal Budget 2026-27 Focuses on Jobs, Welfare and Infrastructure Push

The West Bengal government on Monday unveiled an ambitious Budget for the financial year 2026-27, placing a strong emphasis on employment generation, employee welfare, social security and infrastructure development. Presenting the Budget in the State Assembly, Finance Minister Dr. Swapan Dasgupta announced a series of measures aimed at creating jobs, improving public services and boosting economic growth across the state.
One of the most significant announcements was the decision to fill one lakh vacant government posts in a phased manner. The recruitment drive is expected to cover multiple departments and is being projected as one of the largest employment initiatives undertaken by the state government in recent years. Of these positions, 33 per cent will be reserved for women, reflecting the government’s focus on increasing female participation in the workforce.
The education sector is set to receive a major boost, with 50,000 teaching and non-teaching vacancies to be filled in schools and educational institutions. The government also announced that 20,000 posts will be created in the police department to strengthen law enforcement and improve public safety. In addition, Agniveers completing service under the Centre’s Agnipath scheme will be eligible for a 10 per cent reservation in relevant state government recruitments.
The Budget also brought relief for lakhs of state government employees and pensioners through a substantial increase in Dearness Allowance (DA). The government announced a 20 percentage-point hike, taking the DA rate to 38 per cent. The move is expected to improve the financial position of employees amid rising living costs.
Welfare spending formed another key pillar of the Budget. The government allocated ₹36,000 crore for the Annapurna Yojana, a flagship programme aimed at providing financial assistance to women. A new scheme named ‘Bharosa’ was also introduced to support unemployed youth. Under the initiative, unemployed graduates will receive a monthly allowance of ₹3,000 to help them meet expenses while seeking employment opportunities.
The government further announced plans to create five new districts to improve administrative efficiency and ensure better delivery of public services. Significant allocations have also been proposed for healthcare, education, agriculture, tourism and industrial development. To encourage investment and improve the business climate, the state plans to introduce legislation aimed at curbing illegal syndicate operations. The government said these measures would promote transparency, ease of doing business and investor confidence.The proposals represent the first full-scale financial blueprint of the BJP-led government in West Bengal and are aimed at accelerating growth while addressing key social and economic challenges facing the state.