Some friends in West Bengal have asked for greater central assistance to West Bengal. How much does West Bengal get from the Centre?
The impact of the Fourteenth Finance Commission on the finances of West Bengal has to be understood. In the last full year of the UPA Government (2013-14), West Bengal received a total amount of tax devolution, Finance Commission grants and planned transfers of Rs.42029.22 crores. In the first full year of the NDA Government i.e. 2015-16, this amount will be raised to Rs.63578.00 crores. During the period 2010-15, West Bengal received a total tax devolution of Rs.103539 crores. Between 2015-20, this amount will increase to Rs.285200 crores. The following chart indicates the total amount that West Bengal is receiving in the current year as compared to the previous two years:
Further, this year the Centre has some untied funds of Rs.20,000 crores with the NITI Aayog and Rs.15,000 crores which was referred to in para 55 of the Finance Minister’s Budget Speech. West Bengal is likely to get some of this amount. Despite a huge benefit to West Bengal under the Fourteenth Finance Commission, can it at all be said that West Bengal has not gained under the Fourteenth Finance Commission?