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Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari chaired his first cabinet meeting on Monday, approving a five-year extension in the age limit for school job applicants, implementing the Ayushman Bharat health scheme
Howrah: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari arrives at Nabanna after assuming office, in Howrah, Monday, May 11, 2026.(PTI)West Bengal's new BJP government under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has hit the ground running, approving a series of significant policy decisions at its first cabinet meeting, including a five-year extension in the age limit for school job applicants, implementation of the Ayushman Bharat health scheme and land transfer to the Border Security Force for fencing the Bangladesh border.
Suvendu Adhikari's First Cabinet Meeting: Every Major Decision West Bengal's New Government Just Made
West Bengal's first BJP government in decades wasted little time signalling its priorities. At its inaugural cabinet meeting on Monday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a string of decisions that reversed several policies of the previous administration and moved swiftly to honour electoral commitments made to the state's voters, including a pledge personally made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Age Limit for School Job Applicants Extended by Five Years
The cabinet's most immediately consequential decision for job seekers was the approval of a five-year extension in the upper age limit for applicants to school positions in the state. Adhikari confirmed the move was a direct fulfilment of a promise made by Home Minister Amit Shah during the election campaign, giving thousands of applicants who had aged out of eligibility a renewed opportunity to compete for government teaching posts.
Ayushman Bharat Health Scheme to Be Implemented in West Bengal
In a significant policy reversal, the new cabinet approved the implementation of the Centre's flagship Ayushman Bharat health scheme in West Bengal, a programme that the previous Trinamool Congress government had declined to adopt. The scheme, which provides health insurance coverage to economically vulnerable families, will now be extended to eligible residents of the state.
Land Transferred to BSF for Bangladesh Border Fencing
The cabinet also approved the transfer of land to the Border Security Force to facilitate the fencing of West Bengal's border with Bangladesh, Adhikari announced after the meeting. The decision addresses a long-standing security concern along one of India's most porous international borders and brings the state into alignment with the Centre's border management priorities.
BNS Implemented After Previous Government's Constitutional Violation
Adhikari was pointed in his criticism of the outgoing administration on the question of criminal law reform. The cabinet formally implemented the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in West Bengal, the new criminal code that replaced the Indian Penal Code across most of India. The previous government had declined to implement the legislation, a decision Adhikari described as a violation of the Constitution.
"Previous govt did not implement BNS in violation of Constitution, Cabinet implemented the criminal law in Bengal," Adhikari said.
Census Circular From MHA to Be Implemented Immediately
The cabinet additionally granted immediate implementation of a June 2025 circular from the Ministry of Home Affairs related to the Census, which the previous government had ignored. Adhikari confirmed the decision after the meeting, framing it as another instance of the new government correcting administrative lapses left by its predecessor.
Modi's Vision of Development for All to Guide New Government
Beyond the specific policy decisions, Adhikari used his first day in office to lay out the philosophical direction of his administration. Before leaving his residence in New Town, Kolkata, he told reporters, "We have lots of responsibilities. We have to work for the people."
Later in the day, Adhikari visited the BJP office at Salt Lake in eastern Kolkata alongside the party's state unit chief Samik Bhattacharya for an organisational meeting. At the office, which was decorated with flowers and featured a portrait of Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee alongside an image of Bharat Mata, Adhikari was greeted with 207 lotuses by party workers, representing the number of seats the BJP won in the assembly polls, amid chants of Jai Shri Ram.
"Our guiding principle will be the 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikash' vision of Prime Minister Modi," Adhikari said, acknowledging the hundreds of people who had gathered to greet him.
Bhattacharya, speaking to reporters after the organisational meeting, said the government and the party would fulfil their roles independently but in close coordination with each other for the welfare of the people.
"All the electoral promises will be implemented," he said.
Several BJP MLAs were present at the Salt Lake office, including Bidhannagar legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee, as well as party leaders Locket Chatterjee and Saumitra Khan.
(With agency inputs)
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