West Bengal BJP govt slashes minority affairs, madrasa budget by 62%
Kolkata : West Bengal’s Bharatiya Janata Party government has drastically cut funding for the Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education Department by over 62%, raising concerns over marginalisation of minorities in state policy.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in its first full budget since ending 15 years of TMC rule, Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta allocated Rs 2,165 crore to the department for FY 2026–27. This is a sharp drop from the Rs 5,713 crore earmarked by the previous Mamata Banerjee government. The Rs 4.38 lakh crore budget was presented on June 22.
While minority welfare and madrasa education faced deep cuts, the budget announced several high-profile projects in North Bengal, a State Artificial Intelligence Mission, sports university, and international-standard stadium.
Community leaders and rights groups said madrasas and minority scholarships are key access points to education for economically disadvantaged groups. They argue the budget shift signals minorities are being pushed down state priorities, intensifying debate over equitable resource distribution under the new BJP government.
