KOLKATA : The West Bengal government has turned down a request from the Governor's House to increase its budget allocation, a senior official said on Monday. The governor's office had written to the state secretariat a couple of times in the recent past, seeking additional funds of ₹53.5 lakh to meet everyday expenses. The state government, however, expressed its inability to allot more funds, claiming that it has adopted austerity measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As our state has adopted certain austerity measures to handle expenses during this pandemic, the request was turned down," the official at the state secretariat said. The state has also extended the period for undertaking austerity measures from September to March 31 next year.

Source: Mint September 28, 2020 10:30 UTC