NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the BJP-led central government of denying funds to the state, and said her government had still ensured in the budget that welfare and development programmes continued.Speaking at a press conference a day after the state budget was announced, Banerjee said, “Despite the state being financially deprived by the Centre, we have brought in a pro-people budget.”The chief minister also criticised the Union Budget and compared it with the state’s budget, saying, “Our budget is pro-people, not directionless and rudderless like the Union Budget.”A day earlier, the West Bengal Assembly presented an interim budget of Rs 4.06 lakh crore for the 2026-27 financial year. The budget comes less than three months before the Assembly elections.The budget includes cash support and allowance increases for women, youth and frontline workers. One of the key announcements was an increase in the monthly grant under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme by Rs 500 from February this year. The state has allocated Rs 15,000 crore for the scheme.The move is seen as a major welfare measure, especially for women, who make up nearly half of the state’s voters. The scheme has been a key programme of the Trinamool Congress government.
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