KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday criticised the Centre, calling the Union Budget 2026–27, “anti-women, anti-farmer, anti-education” and claiming that it has “nothing on offer for Bengal”, as political sparring intensified ahead of the state’s upcoming assembly elections. Speaking at Kolkata airport before leaving for Delhi, Banerjee said, “Nothing on offer for Bengal in Union Budget 2026-27.” Later in the day, she described the budget as “directionless, visionless; nothing for common man in it.”Mamata remarks came hours after Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget in Parliament, outlining a series of proposals aimed at boosting infrastructure, tourism and regional development. Among the key announcements was the development of an East Coast Industrial Corridor, with a well-connected node at Durgapur in West Bengal. The government also proposed the creation of five tourism destinations in five ‘Purvodaya’ states, a term used to refer to India’s eastern region. Presenting the budget, Sitharaman said, “I propose the development of an East Coast Industrial Corridor with a well-connected node at Durgapur, creation of five tourism destinations in five Purvodaya states, and the provision of 4,000 e-buses.” The finance minister also announced a new scheme to develop Buddhist circuits across six northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura — as part of a broader push to promote tourism and cultural heritage.
