Kolkata, Jun 22: The West Bengal government on Monday proposed the creation of five new districts, a subdivision and seven municipalities, while announcing a series of measures to strengthen healthcare and higher education infrastructure across the state.
Presenting the first full budget of the BJP government in the state Assembly, Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta said the administrative reorganisation was aimed at improving governance, enhancing security-related coordination and ensuring better delivery of public services.
“The proposed districts — Kolkata, Basirhat, Sundarban, Jangipur and Arambagh — are being created for administrative convenience and security-related requirements. The move will help bring government services closer to people and ensure more efficient governance,” Dasgupta said while tabling the Budget.
There will be a new police district in Kanthi, he said.
The budget also proposed the creation of a subdivision at Gopiballavpur and new municipalities at Shivmandir, Gazole, Chanchal, Belda, Badhana, Kamarpukur and Kolaghat.
“The new subdivision and municipalities are being proposed to improve civic amenities and make public services more accessible to citizens,” the finance minister said.
In the healthcare sector, Dasgupta invited private participation in setting up advanced medical facilities, while laying down conditions to ensure affordable treatment for patients.
“We invite private organisations to establish state-of-the-art hospitals. However, they will have to reserve 50 per cent of their beds for patients referred from government hospitals, either free of cost or at subsidised rates,” he said.
The minister also announced plans to assist families travelling outside the state for specialised medical treatment.
“Patients and their relatives travelling to places such as Mumbai and Vellore for treatment will be provided affordable accommodation through government-supported arrangements under the public-private partnership model,” he said.
In a major announcement for north Bengal, Dasgupta said the government would establish an AIIMS and a dedicated cancer hospital in the region.
“An AIIMS and a cancer hospital will be set up in north Bengal to strengthen educational and healthcare infrastructure. We are committed to expanding opportunities and improving access to quality healthcare,” he said.
Further, to increase the state’s medical education capacity, the government proposed adding 650 MBBS seats across 13 medical colleges. (PTI)
