Kolkata, Feb 12 (PTI) Leader of the opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Wednesday described the state budget as a pack of empty promises which ignored women, unemployed youth, and indigenous communities of the Hills.

State finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya presented a Rs 3.89-lakh crore budget for 2025-26 with a significant focus on social welfare, and announced a four per cent hike in dearness allowance (DA) for government employees.

The government also unveiled a series of infrastructure and agricultural development projects in its budget, allocating significant funds for rural connectivity, river erosion control, and agrarian support initiatives.

"This budget is nothing but a hoax where so many words have been spoken about check in river erosion without any substantial allocation of funds for the projects," he added.

Adhikari, who was talking to reporters outside the assembly complex after the budget was tabled in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said the budget played a cruel joke on the state government employees by only effecting a 4 per cent hike in their DA – 18 per cent in total – which is far below the DA hike for central government employees and government employees in other states.

Ruing the budget remains silent on the increase in allocation for women (Lakshmir Bhandar), the senior BJP leader said, "While monthly allowance for women's empowerment has been hiked in many other states, this government has failed to address the economic uplift of the women of poor households. This government has failed to address issues confronting women – from their livelihood to safety and security." The BJP MLA from Nandigram said this budget does not offer any direction about generating more employment for over 2 crore youths of the state.

"From the unemployed youth to the backward tribe, indigenous community members in Darjeeling Hills/Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri/Aliurduar, the budget does not spare a single thought for providing economic benefit for the backward tribe/indigenous community people like Rajbanshi, Gorkha, and other tribes in those belts," he said.

"The budget has no word for the overall development of North Bengal, ignoring the region altogether," he added.

Adhikari said the decision to provide smart phones to ICDS workers is nothing new and a continuation of the same project initiated by Smriti Irani years back, which was not implemented by the state at that time but the allocation siphoned for other purposes.

Taking a jibe at the budget provisions for the Ghatal masterplan and anti-river erosion projects, he said, "This will not stop river erosion in North Bengal, and the so-called masterplan will only remain on paper and not see the light of day as the government has no roadmap to go ahead with such ambitious plans." The senior BJP leader also described the state budget as anti-farmer, claiming that from accidental benefits to crop insurance, nothing has been announced.

"There has been no proposal for the people of the Jangalmahal belt consisting of Paschim Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, and Purulia," he added.

The senior leader said the budget shows no light to recover the Rs 6,000 crore debt burden on the state, which has happened due to the "ineptitude of the state government." Eminent economist and BJP leader Ashok Lahiri said this budget has no substance but only hinges on empty boastings.

"The TMC has become a regime of empty promises only. It has announced a paltry amount for Deucha Panchami. Tell me how a small amount will help in setting up such an ambitious project? It shows they themselves are not serious about the project," he added. PTI BSM/DC SUS MNB

State budget critique: Opposition says allocations ignore women, youth, indigenous communities and fail to address river erosion and agrarian support. The state budget for 2025-26 is criticised for inadequate social and regional allocations, notably for women, unemployed youth, and indigenous communities in the Hills and North Bengal. While dearness allowance for government employees is increased, opposition leaders say the hike is insufficient and the budget lacks targeted employment measures and substantive funding or roadmaps for river erosion control, agrarian supports, backward-tribe benefits, and major capital projects, leaving several announced initiatives effectively underfunded or symbolic.