West Bengal govt to publish white paper on all ministries to expose irregularities: Bengal FM Swapan Dasgupta
Kolkata, June 25
Following the presentation of the state budget earlier this week, West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta on Thursday announced that the state government will publish a White Paper on every department and ministry to expose financial "irregularities" and will table pending CAG reports to ensure administrative transparency.
Addressing the law and order concerns in the state, the Minister outlined a series of developmental and security initiatives, like the establishment of a new women's police station in Sandeshkhali, a degree college in Hemtabad, and a women's college in Kaliaganj.
Outlining a new security and disaster response framework, Dasgupta detailed the composition of a highly trained specialized force.
"A specialised force will be set up with 200 highly trained personnel. This will include 50 personnel from the Sunderbans, 50 from the mountain areas, and the remaining 100 will be deployed across other parts of the state to deal with natural disasters and major accidents," he detailed.
Focusing on the upcoming festive season, Dasgupta stated that the government aims to launch several key policies before Durga Puja to boost the economy and empower women. These include a Value Incentive Policy, a Startup Policy, an AI Mission Policy, and a New Cloud Kitchen Policy specifically designed for women's empowerment.
Addressing the reduction in budget allocations for minority affairs and madrasa education, the Finance Minister clarified that the decision was based on performance metrics.
"Our allocation is based on the utilisation of funds in this department," he stated.
The Finance Minister also made a strong pitch for moving away from identity politics and focusing on economic progress.
"We should not view this road in terms of whether only Hindus will use it to the exclusion of others. Our identity is that we are all Indians. This kind of politics will now cease. We will strive to become the state with the largest economy," the Minister remarked.
This comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal on Monday presented its first-ever state budget, unveiling a Rs 4,38,775.29 crore net outlay for the financial year 2026-27. Presented by Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta in the Legislative Assembly, the budget combined welfare measures, employment generation, infrastructure expansion, and fiscal consolidation under the government's vision of a "Viksit Bangla."
— ANI
Reader Comments
The new Cloud Kitchen Policy for women's empowerment sounds promising. If implemented well, it could give many women financial independence. Hoping it's not just another election gimmick though. Need to see real support like loans and training.
The Finance Minister's statement about moving away from identity politics is very refreshing. We need more leaders who focus on development and economy rather than dividing people. "Our identity is that we are all Indians" - that's the spirit we need! 👏
I appreciate the focus on economic progress, but reducing minority affairs budget based on "utilisation" is concerning. Many genuine beneficiaries might suffer due to administrative inefficiencies. Hope they fix the system rather than just cutting funds.
White paper and CAG reports - good steps for transparency. But the real test will be whether they implement the findings. So many reports just gather dust. Also, the specialised force of 200 personnel seems small for a state like Bengal. Need to scale up.
The new women's police station in Sandeshkhali is a welcome move. Hope it provides a safe space for women to report crimes. But infrastructure alone won't solve deep-rooted social issues. Need proper sensitisation of police personnel too.
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