CM Mamata announces Yuva Sathi money will start going from today, asks women to protest LPG hike

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that there are attempts to divide Bengal and convert it into a Union Territory, warning that the state would resist any such move. Speaking at a protest stage, she said Bengal’s identity, culture and language have existed long before independence and cannot be weakened through political strategies. “They are saying Bengal and Bihar will be divided and made a Union Territory. Their plan is to divide Bengal. Bengal is fighting, will fight, and knows how to fight,” she said.

Banerjee also targeted the BJP, accusing the party of trying to manipulate the political landscape of the state. She claimed that despite political pressure, Bengal would stand united and resist any attempt to alter its administrative status. “If you do too much, we will topple your government in Delhi,” she said, while alleging that people were being threatened with transfers and intimidation to support political agendas.

Highlighting her government’s development initiatives, the chief minister said major infrastructure and industrial projects were progressing across the state. She mentioned the Deocha-Pachami coal mining project, which she said would create employment for around one lakh people and ensure electricity supply for the next century. Banerjee also stated that six economic corridors were being developed and two 1,600-megawatt thermal power plants were under construction in Shalboni.

The chief minister also defended Bengal’s economic performance, saying the state had repaid ₹6 lakh crore of debt inherited from the previous government while the Centre still owed Bengal ₹2 lakh crore. She added that the state had achieved significant progress in micro and small industries, employing around 1.5 crore people, while the leather hub alone provides jobs to about 7.5 lakh workers.

Banerjee further announced that financial assistance under the Yuvashree scheme would start reaching beneficiaries’ bank accounts from Saturday instead of April 1. The decision was taken ahead of International Women’s Day, she said, adding that around 90 lakh to one crore youths aged between 21 and 40 had applied for support. She also highlighted several GI-tagged products from Bengal and said training programmes under the Utkarsh Bangla initiative were helping reduce unemployment and promote self-reliance among young people.