Bengal Budget to be presented today

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who is on a dharna at Metro Channel currently to save the Constitution, will hold a Cabinet meeting at a makeshift room at the dharna site, following which Finance Minister Amit Mitra will present the Budget in the Assembly.

The Budget will contain the income and expenditure under various heads for the first four months of financial year 2019-20.

It is also expected to contain a few new measures related to development schemes and programmes.

The Budget Session of the State Assembly began on February 1 with a speech by the governor of Bengal.

Bengals gross state domestic product (GSDP) has increased by over two times, growing by 11.46 per cent in financial year (FY) 2017-18, which is a rate greater than the overall growth rate of India.

The State's Gross Value Added in the same period grew by 11.8 per cent.

The State's tax collection has also grown by over two times.

The expenditure on physical and social infrastructure has increased almost four-fold. With more than 90 lakh jobs created, the unemployment rate has dropped by almost 40 per cent.

During the 2018 Budget, the government had announced two new schemes Rupashree and Manobik.

While Rupashree is meant for helping economically weaker families facilitate the marriage of their daughters through a one-time grant of Rs 25,000, Manobik is a pension scheme for people with 40 per cent or more disabilities, wherein they receive a monthly amount of Rs 1,000.