Bengal education minister regrets absence of BJP members in assembly as demand for grants are passed

Kolkata: West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu on Tuesday regretted the absence of opposition BJP members in the assembly as the House passed the demands for grant of the state's education and higher education departments.

The assembly cleared the grants for expenditure in 2025-26 of the state's general and higher education, technical education departments, apart from those for sports and youth services.

Speaking on the discussion over the issue, Basu regretted that when important matters like education and health are taken up in the House, the BJP members are not present.

The cut motions which had been brought by the opposition BJP members were not considered as those MLAs were not present in the House.

The BJP MLAs had staged a walkout from the House in the first half of the day after Speaker Biman Banerjee did not allow an adjournment motion brought by them alleging incidents of violence in different parts of the state during Holi celebrations.

The Speaker ruled that as the opposition members who had brought the cut motions were not in the House, these were treated as not good.

The House passed the demands for grants over voice vote.

Basu said that schemes are being taken by the West Bengal government to ensure more interest among pupils in school education.

He rejected opposition ISF MLA Nawshad Siddique's claim that several schools in the state do not have toilets for girl students.

The minister maintained that 100 per cent of schools in the state have separate toilets for girl students.