Ahead of 2026 polls, Mamata advances ₹1,500 allowance scheme for unemployed youth to April

With an eye on the 2026 Assembly elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has advanced the launch of the State’s monthly ₹1,500 allowance for unemployed youth from August 15 to April 1.

“Earlier, we had decided to launch this scheme (Yuva Sathi) from August 15. However, since the financial year begins on April 1, we have decided to implement the scheme from April 1,” Ms Banerjee said on Tuesday (February 10). After the announcement of the scheme during the State interim budget, she faced criticism from Opposition party leaders for “launching schemes” which she would not implement during her current tenure as the CM.

Ms. Banerjee further added that since there is a time constraint in implementing and starting the scheme by April 1, it will be advertised in newspapers and camps will be set up in all 294 Assembly constituencies for youth to register under the scheme.

“Applications need to be registered for the Yuva Sathi scheme… The camps will operate from February 15 to 26,” Ms. Banerjee added. She also said that eligible people need to physically submit forms at these camps.

Eligible beneficiaries under the scheme are unemployed youth between the ages of 21 and 40 who have passed their Class 10 examinations.

Meanwhile, she had also increased the monthly allowance of the Lakshmir Bhandar direct cash transfer scheme for women of the State by ₹500, which has already been implemented from February after the interim budget was presented last week on February 5.

The advancement of the Yuva Sathi scheme came after Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari criticised the launch of schemes from August when State polls are scheduled for May.

“This budget is not for August. She cannot make promises for August. This is a mockery of the two crore unemployed youth of the State. This is almost their way of saying that they cannot provide jobs,” Mr. Adhikari had said right after the State budget was presented last week.

Para teachers protest

In a related development, para teachers of West Bengal government schools held a protest outside Bikash Bhawan, the State education department headquarters, on Tuesday. They were demanding a respectable salary hike. This comes five days after they received a ₹1,000 increase in the interim budget presented by State Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya.

Para teachers receive between ₹10,000 and ₹13,000 a month and work on a contractual basis. Many complained that this salary was too little to sustain a family.

The protesting teachers clashed with police and demanded an audience with education department officials. They were seeking permanent job status and a salary hike.

“This ₹1,000 hike in our salary is like alms, we do not want this. They can roll this back and give us a respectable salary hike,” a protesting para teacher said.