Ahead of 2026 polls, Mamata advances ₹1,500 allowance scheme for unemployed youth to April

Mamata Banerjee advances ₹1,500 allowance for unemployed youth to April, facing Opposition criticism ahead of the 2026 elections.

With an eye on the 2026 Assembly elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has advanced the launch of the State’s monthly ₹1,500 allowance for unemployed youth from August 15 to April 1.

“Earlier, we had decided to launch this scheme (Yuva Sathi) from August 15. However, since the financial year begins on April 1, we have decided to implement the scheme from April 1,” Ms Banerjee said on Tuesday (February 10). After the announcement of the scheme during the State interim budget, she faced criticism from Opposition party leaders for “launching schemes” which she would not implement during her current tenure as the CM.

Ms. Banerjee further added that since there is a time constraint in implementing and starting the scheme by April 1, it will be advertised in newspapers and camps will be set up in all 294 Assembly constituencies for youth to register under the scheme.

“Applications need to be registered for the Yuva Sathi scheme... The camps will operate from February 15 to 26,” Ms. Banerjee added. She also said that eligible people need to physically submit forms at these camps.

Eligible beneficiaries under the scheme are unemployed youth between the ages of 21 and 40 who have passed their Class 10 examinations.

Meanwhile, she had also increased the monthly allowance of the Lakshmir Bhandar direct cash transfer scheme for women of the State by ₹500, which has already been implemented from February after the interim budget was presented last week on February 5.