For over a decade, the infamous syndicate raj in West Bengal thrived under the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government. However, the new BJP government is planning to bring a legislation to protect lawful businesses from syndicate charges and related extortion. On 22nd June, West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta presented a Rs 4.38 lakh crore (net) budget for 2026-27.
To make West Bengal free from syndicate charges and extortion, the state budget stressed “an urgent need to significantly improve the investment climate by reducing the ‘cost of doing business’ caused by extortion and interference” by bringing a new legislation to dismantle syndicate raj.
As per the budget, the new legislation on syndicate charges will “boost investor confidence, encourage expansion and new setups (especially in manufacturing, MSMEs and IT), protect supply chains and operations from disruptions, and enhance employment generation.”
“Our government will bring legislation to safeguard lawful businesses from ‘syndicate charges’ and other informal extortions. By enabling faster redressal and personal accountability for offenders, it addresses long-standing industry grievances, potentially attracting more domestic and foreign investment while promoting the rule of law without undermining legitimate regulatory oversight,” the budget stated.
With this, the BJP government in West Bengal is fulfilling yet another of its poll promises.
