Several major announcements related to infrastructure and connectivity have been made for West Bengal in the Union Budget 2026-27 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday. In view of the upcoming assembly elections in the state, these proposals are being seen as the Centre’s ‘election strategy’. While BJP is calling them a means of rejuvenation of Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has termed them as a ‘pack of lies’ and discriminatory.
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The budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposes a new dedicated freight train corridor connecting Dankuni in West Bengal to Surat in Gujarat, development of an ‘East Coast Industrial Corridor’ with a well-established hub at Durgapur and creation of a total of five tourist destinations in the five states of ‘Purvodaya’. BJP is considering this as a step to strengthen its narrative of development-based politics in Eastern India before the elections. The Dankuni–Surat freight train corridor has been introduced as an initiative to promote environment-friendly freight transportation and reduce logistics costs. This is considered to be the most politically important promise for Bengal in this budget.
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The central government argues that inland water transport and freight movement through integrated corridors will accelerate industrial development in the state. The BJP has long described Bengal as a victim of policy stagnation under the Trinamool Congress rule. The budget also proposes development of tourist places and provision of 4,000 e-buses in the states coming under Purvodaya. However, after the sharp reaction of Trinamool Congress (TMC), discussion has started on the political implications of this budget. The party described this as further evidence of alleged discrimination in Centre-state relations.
5 main budget announcements for Bengal
The Central Government has presented a roadmap to bring Bengal at the center of development through ‘Mission Purvodaya’:
Dankuni-Surat Dedicated Freight Corridor: A new freight train corridor (DFC) has been proposed to connect Dankuni in Bengal to Surat in Gujarat. It will connect the industrial centers of eastern and western India.
Varanasi-Siliguri High-Speed Rail: To improve the connectivity of North Bengal, a high-speed rail corridor (bullet train route) has been announced between Varanasi and Siliguri.
East Coast Industrial Corridor (Durgapur): Durgapur will be developed as a major ‘industrial node’, which will promote manufacturing and investment.
4,000 e-buses and waterways: Under the Purvodaya initiative, there is a proposal to run 4,000 electric buses in the eastern states including Bengal and commission 20 new national waterways.
Tourism and Buddhist Circuit: 5 new tourist destinations will be developed in the five states of ‘Purvodaya’, along with this, efforts will be made to bring areas like Siliguri on the international tourism map.
TMC accused the Center of presenting old decisions as new benefits. Party’s national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee accused the BJP of making announcements only to grab headlines. “We have been saying the same thing for the last five years. If the Center releases a white paper proving that even a single MNREGA job-card holder in Bengal has received money through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) after the BJP’s defeat in the 2021 assembly elections, I will quit politics,” he said.
Banerjee alleged that funds to be received under major central schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Rural Roads Scheme are pending since the last elections. He said that the infrastructure announcements made in the budget cannot hide the reality. On the other hand, BJP leader Rahul Sinha said, “The budget has focused on the development of Bengal’s infrastructure, which will strengthen the state’s economy.”
He said connectivity and industrial projects will create employment opportunities and attract investment, especially in areas like North and West Bengal. Political analysts say that the emphasis given on Bengal in the budget should be seen in the context of the BJP’s broader election strategy. In this regard, an economist said, “Budget allocations are not decided keeping politics aside.”
He said that when assembly elections are near in a big state, more attention is paid to that state. He said that the Union Budget is considered a powerful instrument in the federal system. At the same time, another political analyst said that election-bound states are given extra attention in the budget. “Infrastructure projects and welfare announcements reflect the intentions of the party in power at the Centre. Voters then judge whether these promises are credible or just symbolic,” he said.