Budget 2024 shall ensure progress for all in Bengal, says Abhishek

Kolkata: Calling the state Budget presented on Thursday as one for the people, including the mothers, sisters and the poor, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee termed the Budget as a path-breaking one which will pave the way to make Bengal self-reliant.

On his X handle, Abhishek wrote: “By strengthening the hands of our mothers, sisters & poor, we’re forging our way towards Swanirbhor Bangla. From boosting Lakshmir Bhandar to GoWB’s visionary Karmasree, #WBBudget2024 shall ensure progress for all. Bengal’s single-engine Govt has more power than double-engines!”

The Trinamool Congress also lauded the decisions in the state Budget to allot Rs 3700 crore for Bengal MGNREGA workers, besides increasing the amount in ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme for women and Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees.

Following the Budget presentation, TMC wrote on X: “Smt.@MamataOfficial comes to the rescue of Bengal’s MGNREGA workers! In a sigh of relief, an amount of ₹3,700 Cr has been allocated under the budget for the 21 lakh deprived workers. To combat the Centre’s deprivation of funds and the soaring inflation, the GoWB fights back! #WBBudget2024”. During the sit-in demonstration at Red Road against Centre’s fund blockade, Chief Minister and Trinamool chairperson Mamata Banerjee had promised that the state government will clear the wages of 21 lakh workers of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) which remains blocked by the Centre for the past two years. “Their wages will be transferred to their bank accounts on February 21,” she had promised.

Sources said the move is likely to benefit the ruling party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, especially in the rural areas where job card holders are spending days without wages due to Centre’s fund blockade.

Further, the decision to increase ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ allowance for general category women to Rs 1000 from Rs 500, and to Rs 1200 from Rs 1000 for SC/ST, is also to earn the party a political mileage and a clear edge over the BJP in the upcoming election.

TMC wrote on X: “Bengal reaffirms its commitment to women empowerment once again. In a monumental announcement, the financial assistance under ‘Lakshmi Bhandar’ has been increased to ₹1000 for women in the general category and raised to ₹1200 for SC/ST women.” Party leader Shashi

Panja, lauding the decision, opined that it showed how much the chief minister cares for women empowerment.

The party also lauded the decision to further increase DA for state government employees. It wrote on X: “The GoWB declares a 4% increase in Dearness Allowance, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the welfare of the people

of Bengal.”