For the first time, in the land of Bengal where Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee had laid the ideological foundation of Jan Sangh 75 years ago, BJP came to power with an absolute majority by securing 207 seats. On Saturday, Governor RN Ravi administered the oath of office to Subhendu Adhikari as the Chief Minister at the historic Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. Five ministers also took oath along with him. During this, many Union Ministers including PM Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President Nitin Naveen along with Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of about 20 BJP-NDA ruled states were present.
The new government formed under the leadership of Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari has got the responsibility at a time when the state is struggling with huge debt, employment crisis, slow industrial investment, incomplete infrastructure projects and serious questions related to the education system. The political picture has definitely changed with the change of power, but the economic and administrative challenges remain the same.
Experts believe that the most difficult task before the new government will be to maintain financial balance and restore the confidence of investors. In the last few years, questions have been continuously raised regarding the economic condition of the state and the slow pace of projects. The new government will be able to improve the situation only with determination. The total debt of the state is about Rs 7.71 lakh crore. According to economic experts, it will not be easy for the new government to strike a balance between development schemes and welfare schemes amid such a huge liability. Interest payments and fiscal pressures may become the biggest concerns of the government in the coming years.
Poverty and social inequality are big challenges
According to the available data of 2023, the poverty rate in the state is said to be around 11.89 percent, although there are different opinions regarding these figures.
- Based on the old Rangarajan Committee standards, people who spent Rs 47 per day in cities and Rs 32 in rural areas were considered above the poverty line.
- There has been a debate regarding these standards for a long time. Despite this, economic inequality is still considered a major issue in rural and border districts.
Employment crisis and increasing migration
The issue of employment is also being considered a big test for the new government. According to government figures, the number of migrant laborers working outside the state is said to be around 22 lakh, while non-government estimates put it at more than 50 lakh. The migration of large numbers of youth to other states due to limited industry and employment opportunities has been a subject of constant political debate.
Bengal lagging behind in industry and investment
The situation of West Bengal on the industrial investment front is also considered a matter of concern. The state’s share in total foreign investment in the country is said to be around 0.6 percent. Apart from this, in the last few years there have been discussions about about seven thousand companies leaving the state. The opposition has been continuously alleging that investment was affected due to lack of favorable environment for industries.
Land acquisition is the biggest hurdle
Land acquisition has been one of the biggest hurdles facing big projects. 4564 hectares of land was required for railway expansion projects, but only 27 percent land could be made available. Due to this, the Centre’s projects worth about Rs 2900 crore were affected, while projects worth about Rs 1500 crore are running at a slow pace.
A test to improve the education system
According to the 2023 report, there are 8207 such schools in the state where the student strength is 30 or less. These include primary, upper primary and secondary level schools. Due to low student numbers, questions have been raised on the existence of many schools. Education experts say that this is not only an issue of student numbers but also of imbalance of rural education infrastructure and resources.
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