Finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya today announced a series of proposals in the social security and MSME sector for employment generation and also sops for government employees to make this year’s budget a people’s friendly one.

Announcing a total allocation of Rs 3, 66,116cr budget proposal for the 2024-25 fiscal, Chandrima Bhattacharya taking a leaf out of the chief minister’s book, made an imprint of what Miss Banerjee was reiterating all along to make it more attractive and women-friendly as part of her core thrust area.

Mrs Bhattacharya in her budget proposals enhanced the monthly income under the Lahksmir Bhander flagship scheme for the women in general and those belonging to SC, ST category to Rs 1,000 per month and Rs 1,200 per month respectively.

She also said that the enhanced scheme to be effective from April 2024 as well as another instalment of 4 per cent DA for govt employees, which is to be effective from May 2024.

She also announced a new scheme “Samudra Sathi” for fishermen, particularly those belong to coastal districts like East Midnapore, North 24-Parganas and South 24 Parganas, who, the minster claimed have to weather a situation inimical to their livelihood between the months of April and June. To make them tide over this tough period, the state government has announced a monthly income of Rs 5,000 for two months for the fishermen of the three districts.

The state government has proposed to enhance the capacity of Santaldih, Bakreswar power projects in the next three years.

To bolster the MSME sector, the state finance minister announced the Bhabishyat Credit Card Interest Subvention scheme to ensure entrepreneurs get cent percent loans without collaterals at an interest rate of 4 per cent.

In line with chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s assurance of payments to 21 lakh job card holders under the Centre’s MGNREGA scheme, a budget allocation of Rs 3,700cr has been proposed by the finance minister.

The state government also announced another integrated scheme named Karmasree, under which every job card holder in the state would get at least 50-days’ work in the state.

The minister also announced that the government has decided to disburse Rs 10,000 from Class XI, instead of class XII from here on for the benefit of students to study online under the government’s revised Taruner Swapna scheme.

These social security schemes apart, the government as part of its infrastructure build-up projects has decided to construct Ganga Sagar bridge between Muriganga and Kachuberaia at Sagardeep near LOT 8, for which a budget proposal of Rs 1,200 had been proposed. The project is set to be completed in three years time.

The finance minister also announced another bridge named Shilpa Setu parallel to Krishak Setu on the river of Damodar between Burdwan, Arambagh Road. The deadline for its completion is three years.