West Bengal’s new BJP government on Monday unveiled a series of major policy decisions during its first cabinet meeting, including a five-year age relaxation for government job aspirants, the rollout of Ayushman Bharat in Bengal and fast-tracking land transfer for border fencing along the India-Bangladesh frontier. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari described the meeting as the beginning of a “development-driven administrative shift” aimed at reshaping governance in the state.
Addressing the media after the cabinet meeting at Nabanna, Suvendu said the newly formed government had approved six key decisions in its very first sitting. Standing beside newly sworn-in ministers Agnimitra Paul, Dilip Ghosh, Nisith Pramanik, Ashok Kirtania and Khudiram Tudu, the Chief Minister said the administration had prioritised welfare delivery, border security and employment-related measures from day one.
Suvendu Govt Announces 5-Year Job Age Relaxation in First Cabinet Decisions
Suvendu also claimed that Bengal had witnessed a “fear-free and violence-free” election after a long time and thanked both the Election Commission and the police administration for conducting what he called a peaceful democratic exercise.
One of the most significant announcements made by the government was a five-year age relaxation in state government recruitment, a move expected to benefit thousands of job aspirants who were affected by prolonged recruitment delays in recent years.
The Chief Minister said discussions on Dearness Allowance, the Pay Commission, arrears and related financial matters would be taken up in the next cabinet meeting. “We had limited time today, so only priority matters could be addressed immediately. However, decisions on those issues will also be taken soon,” he said.
Another major decision involves the immediate transfer of land required by the Border Security Force for fencing along the India-Bangladesh border. According to Suvendu, all necessary land transfers must be completed within 45 days to accelerate border infrastructure work.
The government also formally announced the implementation of Ayushman Bharat in West Bengal from Monday, marking a significant policy departure from the previous administration’s healthcare approach.
Alongside Ayushman Bharat, the state government confirmed the rollout of several centrally sponsored welfare schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana 3.0, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and the Vishwakarma Scheme.
Political observers see the cabinet’s early decisions as an attempt by the BJP government to quickly establish its governance priorities by aligning Bengal more closely with flagship welfare and infrastructure programmes backed by the Centre.
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