Bengal’s pre-poll interim Budget may hike allocations for key social schemes

Kolkata: Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the interim Budget for 2026-27, which the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government will present in the Assembly on February 2, may be a key political move as it may enhance allocations for some of the crucial social schemes which have already changed the socio-economic conditions of the people.

The political analysts believe that since it’s the last interim Budget before the crucial 2026 Assembly polls, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee may give some masterstrokes in the Budget, which will be tabled on the floor of the House by the state Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya.

The Budget Session of the Assembly would begin on January 31, and the interim Budget for the state would be presented on February 2. This would be a day after the Union Budget is presented by Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament. However, this Assembly session will not be prolonged and will end on February 5. The winter session was not held this time due to SIR.

According to sources, several bills which were pending might be passed during this Session. As Bengal will go for the elections, the state government will place a ‘vote on account’.

A senior Cabinet minister of the Mamata Banerjee government said that preparations were going on in full swing for the budget session, signalling that the fiscal announcements at the crucial phase may send a broader message to society at large.

It was learnt that several key social schemes of the state government may see higher allocations in the interim Budget, which may also have some new announcements, with the understanding that the full implementation of the schemes would follow after the incumbent government returns to power. In 2021, ahead of the assembly polls, the Mamata Banerjee government had significantly enhanced allocations for “Lakshmir Bhandar”.

Political observers suggest the state government may allocate funds for social schemes or announce new benefits for marginalised groups, sending a reassuring signal to Bengal’s voters.

Incidentally, the earth-braking ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme has already reached 2.2 crore beneficiaries of Bengal, thereby uplifting the socio-economic conditions of women. The state’s interim budget may, however, depend on what fiscal space remains after the Union Budget, particularly in regard to the transfer of funds by the Centre.