Lakshmir Bhandar Boost? Bengal Budget Announces ₹500 Monthly Top-Up For Women From February

The West Bengal government on Thursday tabled a ₹4.06 lakh crore interim budget for the financial year 2026–27, with a strong focus on social welfare and employee benefits. Presenting the budget in the Assembly, State Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya announced that women beneficiaries under the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme will receive an additional ₹500 per month starting February 2026.

Welfare Push Across Multiple Sectors

The budget also proposes bringing gig workers under existing state social security schemes, including Swasthyasathi, expanding welfare coverage to new-age workforce segments. In another key announcement, the government proposed a 4% increase in dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees. The honorarium of ASHA and Anganwadi workers will also be increased by ₹1,000. Additionally, the Mamata Banerjee-led government announced a new scheme to provide ₹1,500 monthly allowance to unemployed youth for up to five years.

Lakshmi Bhandar Remains Welfare Pillar

The interim budget is pegged at ₹4.06 lakh crore for FY 2026–27. The Lakshmi Bhandar scheme, launched by the West Bengal government in 2021, is one of the state’s flagship direct cash transfer programmes aimed at providing financial security to women from economically weaker households. The scheme primarily covers women aged 25 to 60 years who are residents of West Bengal and enrolled under the Swasthya Sathi health scheme. Currently, eligible beneficiaries receive ₹1,000 per month in the general category and ₹1,200 per month for SC/ST households, with the amount directly transferred to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.

Over the years, the scheme has expanded significantly and is now among the largest social welfare initiatives in the state, covering over 2.2 crore women. Government data indicates that around ₹74,000 crore has been spent on the programme so far, making it one of the biggest social spending heads in West Bengal’s welfare budget. Officials say the scheme is aimed at improving household financial stability and women’s economic independence across the state

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