Kolkata, Feb 6 : As the West Bengal Minister of State for Finance (Independent charge), Chandrima Bhattacharya, is all set to present the state budget for the financial year 2024-25 this week, economists and the people of the state are caught between expectations of a welfare budget and apprehensions over revenue generation.

The Assembly’s Budget Session is scheduled to start from February 5 and the state Budget will be presented on February 8. There will be discussions on the state budget on February 9 and 10. 

At a recent public meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had hinted at additional doles and welfare schemes for the people in the state budget. 

She said while the Interim Budget of the Union Government has limited scope for announcing welfare schemes because of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, there are no such bindings in the state budget.  So, going by those indications, there are expectations of higher subsidies and grants under the existing welfare schemes and hopes for new ones, especially for the underprivileged in the state.