Kolkata/New Delhi: State minister of finance (independent charge) for West Bengal Chandrima Bhattacharya on Wednesday presented a Rs 3.39-lakh crore Bengal budget for 2023-24. The biggest takeaway of the West Bengal Budget however was announcement of 3 percent hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) and West Bengal government's extension of stamp duty rebate till 30 September 2023.


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FM Bhattacharya said that DA for Bengal State government employees and retires will be hiked by 3 percent from March onwards.


Among other major announcements by CM Mamata Banerjee led Bengal government was allocation of Rs 350-cr startup fund to extend up to Rs 5 lakh each to young entrepreneurs. 


The FM added that Bengal's SGDP is projected to grow at 8.4 percent, industry at 7.8 per cent in 2022-23 fiscal. She also said that agricultural income tax on tea gardens for 2023-24 and 2024-25 will be waived. In order to boost last mile connectivity, FM Bhattacharya announced that 12,500-km of rural roads to be constructed at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore.