Banglar Yuva Sathi Enrolment Drive Launched in West Bengal for Unemployed Youth to Receive INR 1,500 Monthly

West Bengal on Sunday launched a statewide enrolment drive for its new Banglar Yuva Sathi scheme, with camps opening across all 294 Assembly constituencies from February 15 to 26. The initiative aims to onboard unemployed youth for a monthly ₹1,500 direct benefit transfer, while also accepting applications for Lakshmir Bhandar and farm‑worker assistance at the same venues, under a wider Swanirbhar Bangla welfare push.

The camps, branded Swanirbhar Bangla centres, will function daily from 10 am to 5 pm during the 12‑day window, except on notified holidays. Officials will help visitors fill forms, verify documents and issue acknowledgement receipts on the spot, creating a digital trail even though applications are submitted physically. The government says this design is meant to reduce errors, queues and repeat visits for first‑time beneficiaries.

Banglar Yuva Sathi: ₹1,500 support for unemployed youth

Banglar Yuva Sathi, announced in the 2026–27 vote‑on‑account, offers ₹1,500 per month to unemployed residents who have passed Madhyamik and fall within the notified age band. The scheme will start disbursing from April 1, advanced from the earlier target of August 15 to match the new financial year, with support available for up to five years or until beneficiaries secure jobs.

The government estimates about 27–28 lakh youth could qualify statewide, despite West Bengal’s unemployment rate already being below the national average in recent labour surveys. Officials argue that a predictable monthly stipend can help young people continue job searches or skill training without dropping out for low‑paid, informal work. Political observers, however, also see the scheme as a key youth‑oriented promise ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Eligibility and who is likely to be screened out

Applicants must be permanent residents of West Bengal, between 21 and 40 years of age, Madhyamik‑pass or above, and currently unemployed. They need an active, Aadhaar‑linked bank account for direct transfers. Government advisories and camp‑level briefings stress that those already receiving similar state unemployment allowances or drawing regular salaries are likely to be excluded after verification, even if they initially register at the camps.

Some categories, however, remain eligible despite receiving other support. The Chief Minister has clarified that beneficiaries of education‑linked schemes such as Aikyashree, Medhashree, Shikhyashree or student smart cards will not be barred from Yuva Sathi. This carve‑out is intended to avoid penalising students who depended on scholarships earlier but are now seeking work, while still limiting overlap with core welfare pensions and income‑replacement programmes.

District‑wise camps, queues and grievance counters

At least one camp has been scheduled in every Assembly constituency, with detailed venues circulated through district administrations, local bodies and online dashboards. Applicants are advised to visit camps mapped to their own Assembly segment or block to avoid verification delays, since officers on duty are authorised for specific jurisdictional lists. Crowd‑management plans include token systems, help desks and separate queues for persons with disabilities and women.

District magistrates have been instructed to set up grievance cells inside or alongside the camps to handle disputes over eligibility, missing documents, or data entry errors. Applicants who face problems can raise complaints and seek corrections without returning on another day. Officials say this integrated model is meant to reassure first‑time welfare users, especially youth unfamiliar with paperwork or digital procedures.

Key documents and on‑spot verification

Youth turning up at the Yuva Sathi counters are being asked to carry Aadhaar, Madhyamik admit card or birth certificate, educational certificates, a voter or ration card as address proof, bank passbook and recent passport photographs. Photocopies are stapled to the form, while originals are checked on‑spot to minimise later field visits. Officers then provide a stamped receipt with an application ID for future tracking.

Requirement	Details for Yuva Sathi Applicants
Age limit	21–40 years
Minimum education	Madhyamik pass
Monthly assistance	₹1,500 via DBT
Support duration	Up to 5 years or till employed
Camp dates	February 15–26, 2026

Lakshmir Bhandar and farm‑worker benefits at same venues

The Swanirbhar Bangla camps double up as enrolment hubs for the expanded Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, which now pays most women ₹1,500 a month, and ₹1,700 for SC/ST categories after a recent ₹500 hike. Landless farm labourers can also register for annual aid of ₹4,000 in two instalments, along with water‑tax waivers on irrigation tubewells for small cultivators.

By clustering youth, women and farm‑worker schemes at a single set of venues, the government is banking on scale and visibility to push enrolments before April 1, when new benefits start. For applicants, the practical takeaway is straightforward: reach the designated camp early with full documents, secure the acknowledgement slip, and later use the reference number and registered mobile to track approval once the online status portal goes live.