People not treadmills will shape Bengal’s first BJP budget: FM Swapan Dasgupta

In a sharp swipe at the previous regime, finance minister Dr Swapan Dasgupta on Thursday asserted that the state’s first BJP government would prepare its budget through direct consultation with people and stakeholders rather than “on a treadmill”.

Promising a business-friendly and development-oriented fiscal roadmap, he said the forthcoming budget would seek to end the long-standing perception that north Bengal has remained neglected despite its immense economic potential.

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Addressing journalists after a pre-budget consultation meeting with stakeholders at Uttarkanya, Dr Dasgupta said the BJP-led “double-engine government” was treating the budget-making exercise with utmost seriousness.

“So far, we have heard that budgets in West Bengal were prepared while walking on a treadmill. That will not happen anymore. This is a serious exercise and we are listening to people before finalising our priorities,” he remarked.

The finance minister said representatives from all eight districts of north Bengal, covering both the Jalpaiguri and Malda divisions, participated in the consultation. Delegates included members of chambers of commerce, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), CREDAI and several other trade, industrial and professional bodies.

According to Dr Dasgupta, a wide range of issues were raised during the discussions, including the challenges facing the tea industry, industrial growth, education, taxation and infrastructure.

One of the key demands that emerged was the establishment of a GST Appellate Tribunal in north Bengal. At present, businesses are often required to travel to Kolkata for appeals and dispute resolution.

“I personally feel that the demand is legitimate. People should be able to resolve such issues here itself. We will discuss the matter with the Centre and explore how a solution can be worked out,” he said.

Dr Dasgupta also acknowledged that participants from Siliguri had revived a long-standing demand for extending to North Bengal some of the tax concessions and financial incentives available to industries in the north-eastern states. Proponents argued that such benefits could accelerate industrial investment and employment generation in the region.

The minister noted that the demand was not new and had been raised before successive governments, including before former Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. He said the state government would examine the proposal and discuss it with the appropriate authorities and the Union government.

Referring to Centre-state relations, Dr Dasgupta observed that the era of constant confrontation between the state government and the Centre was over.

“There used to be a permanent conflict between the state government and the Centre. That situation no longer exists. Under a double-engine government, issues can be resolved through dialogue and cooperation,” he said.

The minister acknowledged that the tea sector faces distinct challenges across north Bengal.

“The problems in the Dooars are different from those in Darjeeling. Marketing issues, labour concerns and other challenges have been brought to our notice. We will consult the Tea Board and the concerned Union ministries before taking decisions,” he added.

Dr Dasgupta noted that the government has limited time before presenting the budget on 20 June, which will effectively serve as the roadmap for the next eight months. He said the suggestions received during the consultations would be carefully considered while finalising budget proposals.

The finance minister also stressed that the BJP government was committed to restoring West Bengal’s lost economic and industrial prominence.

“We are trying hard to bring back the lost glory of West Bengal. The state had a proud legacy which has diminished over the past fifteen years. Our budget will reflect our vision for reviving that legacy,” he said.

Minister of state for finance Anandamay Barman, who was also present at the consultation, described the exercise as unprecedented. He said stakeholders from Malda, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Kalimpong and other districts attended the meeting and interacted directly with the finance minister.

“There was a time when people never witnessed such direct interaction before a budget. A few days ago, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari held a meeting at Uttarkanya, and today the finance minister listened to stakeholders from across North Bengal. This reflects the government’s emphasis on the region,” Mr Barman said.

Dr Dasgupta further informed that a similar pre-budget consultation had already been held in Kolkata and that another meeting would be organised in Durgapur as part of the government’s statewide outreach ahead of the budget presentation.