kolkata

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; Kolkata: West Bengal is gradually turning into a place where an ageing population remains behind while a large section of the younger generation moves outside the state in search of employment and better healthcare, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said. His remarks came at a recent programme where he spoke about the growing movement of people from Bengal to southern parts of the country for jobs as well as medical treatment.

Bhattacharya argued that this trend needs to change and that Bengal should be able to retain people who are currently travelling to states in southern India for work and healthcare. Explaining his remarks, he said many people approach him seeking help to arrange hospital beds, while a large number of families are now looking towards southern India for medical treatment.

“Today, many people come to us and say that there are no beds and ask us to make some arrangements. Today everyone is moving towards South India. You will not get a reservation on a train to South India within two months. We have to stop this southward movement of people in Kolkata. The flow towards the South has to be stopped,” Bhattacharya said.

It was in this context that the BJP leader described West Bengal as “virtually a retirement home”. He linked the situation to the lack of adequate employment opportunities in the state and the migration of young people to cities outside Bengal.

“Bengal is now virtually a retirement home. The scope for earning here is shrinking. There is no space,” Bhattacharya said. He further pointed to Bengaluru as an example of the migration of Bengalis for employment, claiming that Bengali is the second most spoken language in the Karnataka capital and referring to a statistic from around three and a half years ago that, according to him, showed more than 14 lakh Bengali boys and girls working there.

His broader argument was that people should not have to leave West Bengal either to build their careers or to access better medical facilities. According to Bhattacharya, the situation requires a change so that employment opportunities and healthcare facilities can be strengthened within the state itself.

The BJP leader also spoke about the condition of roads in Kolkata during the same programme. He advised the Kolkata Municipal Corporation commissioner to give greater priority to repairing damaged roads rather than focusing on putting up large numbers of hoardings across the city ahead of the festive season.

Bhattacharya said that ensuring smooth roads for ordinary citizens should be considered more important than decorative or promotional installations before the Puja celebrations. He urged the municipal commissioner to undertake immediate repairs of damaged roads across Kolkata on a “war footing” so that people do not face unnecessary inconvenience while travelling during the festival days.

His comments have brought the issues of employment opportunities, migration, healthcare access and urban infrastructure into focus, with the BJP leader arguing that Bengal needs to create conditions that encourage people to stay in the state rather than travel elsewhere for work and treatment.