Kumar Bahukhandi
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari accorded Guard of Honour at Nabanna after assuming office, in Howrah on May 11, 2026. – Photo Credit: PTI
The BJP government in West Bengal in its first cabinet meeting has decided to transfer land required by the BSF for erecting fencing along the border with Bangladesh and start the process of Census in the State with immediate effect.
Kolkata: After taking oath as West Bengal Chief Minister on May 9, 2026, Suvendu Adhikari chaired his first Cabinet meeting on Monday May 11, 2026 and said his government has decided to transfer of land to the Border Security Force for erecting a fence along the Bangladesh border and approved immediate implementation of Central schemes such as the Ayushman Bharat and the Census exercise in the State.
During the day, the Chief Minister also allocated portfolios to the five Ministers who took oath with him on May 9. Dilip Ghosh, former Bengal BJP president and MLA from Kharagpur Sadar, has been appointed as the Minister in charge of Panchayat and Rural Development, and Animal Resource Development and Agricultural Marketing, while Agnimitra Paul, MLA from Asansol Dakshin, will hold charge of Women and Child Development, Social Welfare and Municipal Affairs Departments.
Ashok Kirtania, a prominent Matua face in the Cabinet and MLA from Bongaon Uttar, has been given charge of the Food and Supplies and Co-operation Department and Khudiram Tudu, MLA from Ranibandh seat who hails from a tribal community, has been assigned the responsibility of Tribal Development, Backward Classes Welfare and Minority Affairs & Madrashah Education.
Nishit Pramanik, who was elected from the Mathabhanga Assembly seat in north Bengal, took charge of the North Bengal Development Department and Youth Services and Sports. The remaining departments will be looked after by Mr. Adhikari, a government notification said.
Speaking to the presspersons after the Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister said that no social welfare scheme started by the previous government will be stopped. Later in the day, in a meeting with newly elected MLAs of the party, Suvendu Adhikari said that Annapurna Yojana, under which women in the State will receive monthly financial assistance of ₹3,000, will be rolled out from June 1.
After the Cabinet meeting Adhikari said he will do away with the earlier practice of government “for the party, by the party, and of the party” and ensure constitutional principles of “for the people, by the people, and of the people” are followed.
“We took six decisions at the Cabinet [meeting]. We are committed towards well-being of 321 families of martyrs who laid their lives as BJP supporters. We have started land transfer to the BSF for securing the borders. The Chief Secretary and the Secretary of the State’s land and land revenue department have been asked to complete the process of land transfer within the next 45 days,” the Chief Minister said.
The meeting also decided to induct Bengal into multiple Central government schemes, including the Ayushman Bharat health coverage programme. The Ayushman Bharat aims to provide cashless hospitalisation coverage of ₹5,00,000 per family per year to poor and vulnerable families for secondary and tertiary healthcare services.
“The West Bengal government will implement all the schemes which the earlier government did not implement. The process has started to actively implement major Central schemes in the State, including Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishak Bima Yojana, PM SHRI, Vishwakarma Scheme, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Ujjwala Yojana,” Mr. Adhikari noted.
The Chief Minister said that the District Magistrates have been instructed to expedite the forwarding of all applications to the concerned Union Ministries.
After the Cabinet meeting, Adhikari said, “West government officials will participate in training provided by the central government. The previous government did not allow officials to participate in the scheme.”
“The West Bengal government allows an extension of five years in the age limit for candidates appearing for government jobs,” he said.
Chief Minister Adhikari alleged that the previous Mamata Banerjee-led TMC dispensation had ignored a circular, dated June 16, 2025, that was sent to the West Bengal government from the Office of the Registrar General of India under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, intimating about the impending Census exercise in the State.
“A letter was sent by the Ministry of Home Affairs on June 16, 2025, regarding the carrying out of the Census as per the directive of the Government of India. The previous government kept sitting on the file; we are starting the census in West Bengal,” said CM Adhikari.
“The TMC government betrayed the Constitution and the people and deliberately kept the Census exercise on hold in Bengal so that women’s reservation could be stopped. The Cabinet has granted immediate sanction for the circular to take effect in the state,” Adhikari added.
The Chief Minister also alleged that the new criminal law of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), replacing the erstwhile IPC and CrPC, wasn’t officially implemented by the Trinamool government, and his government has also decided to fully align West Bengal with the provisions of the BNS.
