The West Bengal government has approved 45,185 new recruitments across state departments and sanctioned a one-time support package for 19,529 workers associated with closed tea gardens in north Bengal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said after a Cabinet meeting at Nabanna on Wednesday.
The recruitment process will begin shortly, according to the Chief Minister. The largest share—33,899 posts—has been approved for the school education department, including positions for teachers, headmasters and headmistresses. The move places school staffing at the centre of the state’s new recruitment plan.
A further 7,119 posts will be filled through the state panchayat department. The remaining 4,167 posts are earmarked for other departments, including the police and skill development, Adhikari said. The Cabinet announcement did not provide a department-wise schedule or specify the examination and appointment timelines for the posts.
The recruitment decision comes alongside a relief measure for workers connected to 21 north Bengal tea gardens that have remained closed since 2021. The government has identified 19,529 workers for a one-time Durga Puja package consisting of Rs 5,000 and 50 kg of rice for each worker. The rice allocation will be in addition to the 35 kg of rice that each family receives monthly, according to the statement reported by The Indian Express.
Adhikari said the state was also attempting to reopen the closed tea gardens, but the Cabinet announcement did not set out a reopening schedule or identify the individual gardens covered by the plan. The support package therefore addresses immediate household needs while the longer-term status of the plantations remains under consideration.
For workers in functioning tea gardens, the government has increased the bonus from 16 per cent last year to 20 per cent this year, the Chief Minister said. He also referred to the Prime Minister Cha Sramik Yojana and said Rs 312 crore had already been approved for infrastructure for tea workers and tea gardens. The report did not provide a project-wise breakdown of this infrastructure allocation or details of its implementation timeline.
The two Cabinet decisions point to separate administrative pressures within West Bengal’s public systems. The recruitment plan is concentrated in departments that directly shape public services and local administration, with school education accounting for roughly three-quarters of the announced posts. The tea-garden package, by contrast, is focused on households affected by prolonged closure and employment disruption in north Bengal.
The government also said that more than 13,000 new Durga Puja celebrations would be held across West Bengal this year. Adhikari said the state had around 45,000 Durga Pujas last year. The Cabinet meeting did not announce a separate allocation linked to the new celebrations.
The immediate next steps are the start of the recruitment process, distribution of the one-time tea-worker package and implementation of the increased bonus for workers in operating tea gardens. The government has not yet announced the detailed recruitment calendar or a confirmed timeline for reopening the 21 closed gardens.
