Bengal Govt Changes Religion-Based Policies, Ends Imam Welfare Support And OBC List

The new West Bengal government has allocated religion-based welfare schemes including financial assistance for imams, muezzins and temple priests to be scrapped from June 2026. The state cabinet meeting held on May 18 approved this action.

The decision is a reversal from the Mamata Banerjee government’s previous Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led regime, which paid monthly honorariums to all religious leaders from all religions.

What Is The Bengal Government Declaring?

The West Bengal cabinet, huddling on 18 May, decided to scrap all welfare and assistance schemes based on religious categorisation. Women and Child Development Minister Agnimitra Paul said the scheme prevailed only till this month, and would be scrapped from next month.

The scheme will affect the initiatives of the Information and Cultural Affairs Department and the Directorate of Minority Affairs and the Madrasa Education Department.

What is The Imam And Priest Scheme?

The imam honourarium scheme was initiated by the TMC government in 2012. Under the scheme, the government allotted ₹2,500 per month (in case of registered imams) and financial assistance to all the imams of West Bengal. The scheme was subsequently extended to muezzins and Hindu temple priests.

The Mamata Banerjee government announced a ₹500 increase in the monthly allotment for priests and muezzins a mere few months before the forthcoming 2026 Assembly elections. Under the new scheme, some priests and muezzins would receive ₹2,000 per month.

Why Is The Scheme Being Abandoned?

The new Bengal government has responded saying that welfare programmes should not be religion-specific. Officials were said to be in favour of focusing on various welfare schemes that do not involve any religious affiliations.

The cabinet also addressed concerns over revising the state’s OBC list after the Calcutta High Court’s latest observations.

Political Response And Debate

The move has already sparked political debate across the state. Proponents of the policy shift say that the public welfare programmes should remain secular and broad-based, rather than focused on religious lines. Critics, however, say that discontinuing the programme may affect the economically weaker religious workers who were benefiting from the financial support.

The Bengal government has also told that student scholarship schemes and various other welfare programmes will continue without any change.

Other Welfare Schemes Announced

Along with the policy shift, the Bengal cabinet approved various new welfare schemes, including the forthcoming Annapurna Bhandar scheme, which will provide a monthly benefit of ₹3,000 for women. Free travel for women in state buses was also announced as part of the government’s welfare policy set.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available reports, media coverage, and official statements available at the time of writing. Government decisions, welfare policies, and implementation details may change based on future announcements or administrative orders. Readers are advised to refer to official government notifications for confirmed information.