West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari chaired his first cabinet meeting on May 11 at Nabanna, the state’s administrative headquarters in Howrah. The meeting, held on the 14th floor of the high-security government building, was closely watched across the state as the newly formed government began outlining its priorities after the Assembly election victory.

During the very first cabinet session, the new Chief Minister and his ministers took six major decisions that the government described as important for administration, governance, national security, healthcare, recruitment, and law enforcement in the state.

At the beginning of the meeting, Suvendu Adhikari thanked the people of West Bengal as well as the Election Commission of India for conducting what he described as a peaceful and intimidation-free election process. In a state that has witnessed political clashes and violence for several decades during elections, the Chief Minister said the recent mandate marked a major democratic moment for Bengal.

The cabinet also paid tribute to BJP workers who had lost their lives in political violence over the years. According to the government, 321 BJP workers were allegedly killed by Trinamool Congress workers in different incidents across the state. Remembering them during the meeting, the Chief Minister stated that the sacrifices of political violence victims would not be forgotten by the new administration.

He assured that the families of those who were killed would receive support from the government and said the administration would remain committed to addressing cases related to political violence in the state.

One of the most significant decisions taken during the cabinet meeting was linked to border security. The government approved the fast-tracking of land transfer for the Border Security Force for the completion of fencing along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal. Around 600 acres of land are expected to be transferred to the BSF for the project.

The government has reportedly fixed a strict deadline of 45 days to complete the process. The move is being seen as an important development because several stretches of the international border in Bengal have remained unfenced for years due to land-related and administrative hurdles.

The cabinet also announced the immediate implementation of the Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme in West Bengal. The previous state government had not allowed the Central health insurance scheme to operate in the state. The new administration has now decided to roll it out without delay.

Along with Ayushman Bharat, several other Central government welfare schemes are also set to be implemented in Bengal. These include PM Jan Arogya Yojana, Fasal Yojana, PM Viswakarma, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and other schemes that had not been fully operational in the state earlier.

Another major administrative decision taken by the government relates to bureaucratic and police training. The cabinet decided that IAS, IPS, and WBPS officers from West Bengal would now be allowed to participate in Central training programmes.

The state government also announced that the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, which had not been implemented in West Bengal earlier, would now be enforced immediately.

In another important announcement, the government approved a five-year age relaxation for candidates applying for state government jobs. The decision has been taken for those who lost recruitment opportunities because of alleged scams and irregularities in earlier recruitment processes.

The Chief Minister stated that the government wants to ensure that deserving candidates who suffered due to recruitment controversies are given a fair opportunity to compete for jobs again.

Speaking about the larger direction of his administration, Suvendu Adhikari said that the new government is committed to creating a transparent and people-oriented system of governance. He stressed that maintaining peace, ensuring public safety, and restoring confidence among ordinary citizens would remain the government’s top priority in the coming years.