Mahua Moitra asserted that the All India Trinamool Congress government created 2 crore jobs in 15 years, citing official Assembly data.
Sreenivasan Jain questioned the credibility of the claim, highlighting that it averages far above the 5 lakh jobs per year promised in 2021.
The interviewer pointed to 84 lakh youth registered under the Yuvasathi scheme in West Bengal, raising concerns about unemployment, while Moitra argued many beneficiaries belong to the informal sector.
On April 13, 2026, Mahua Moitra gave an interview to Newslaundry’s Sreenivasan Jain. In the interview, they covered several topics, ranging from SIR revision to Bengal politics and the formation of narratives in the state. As the Bengal elections approach, with polling scheduled for April 23, 2026, and April 29, 2026, and the final results to be announced on May 4, 2026, the state’s political atmosphere is tense.
Mahua Moitra said that the media is under the control of the ruling government, with one or two major media houses dominating. According to her, the narrative is set by them, and others have to constantly fight against it. She cited one of the prime examples of this narrative as the claim that Bengal has no jobs. She said, “Bengal apparently has had no jobs, has had no investments. Bengal is just creating a state of beggars.”
She then said, let’s focus on jobs, and began explaining the employment situation in the state. She stated that in 2021, the state government had promised that a total of 5 lakh jobs would be created every year in West Bengal. She added that she had with her the data report card of West Bengal, which was presented in the state Assembly budget: “ So this is something that we've placed in the West Bengal assembly. It's not something that I've made up.”
She then claimed that the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), since coming to power, has created a total of 2 crore jobs in the state. When the interviewer questioned her, Moitra explained that this figure was based on the party’s 15 years in power, adding that “that averages out to actually 14 lakh jobs a year.”
He further questioned: “you promised five lakh new jobs a year In 2021, you're saying you've actually created three times that amount.” Moitra replied in the affirmative, to which the interviewer asked whether that was a credible claim. Moitra responded that the data was presented in the Assembly, so it is credible. “Do you think that the data report card and the economic numbers that we place in the West Bengal assembly as part of the budget report is going to be a lie?”
The interviewer then asked where these jobs were being created. Moitra replied that most jobs were generated in the MSME sector. “We have around 93 lakh MSMEs, we’re among the second highest in India in the number of MSME’S. In the MSME’s we have contributed 36% of the female MSME’s in India and we’ve got 16% of all MSMEs in India come from Bengal...Job creation has largely come from this sector.”
The interviewer then questioned these claims. He said that while Moitra claims that around 15 lakh jobs are being created annually, Mamata Banerjee had stated last month that 84 lakh unemployed youth had registered under the Yuvasathi scheme, for those aged between 21 and 40, who receive ₹1,500 per month. He added, “We did the math. 84 lakhs amounts to 40%”.
He argued that if 40% of the working population in that age group has declared themselves jobless, then how do these numbers align? How does that square with such large job creation claims? Moitra then responded to explain her position: “You see, a lot of these people who are signing up for the scheme fall between 21 and 40 years, but there are also people above 40 who have been employed. Secondly, many people working in the informal sector may also register for the scheme.” The interviewer countered that “that does point to a failure of formal job creation.”
The Banglar Yuba Sathi Scheme, or Yuva Sathi Scheme, of West Bengal offers ₹1,500 monthly assistance to unemployed youth between the ages of 21 and 40. The scheme was announced by Mamata Banerjee in early 2026. It is targeted at individuals who have passed Class 10 and provides financial assistance via Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) for up to five years or until employment is secured. The scheme is aimed to alleviate the strain on educated and unemployed youth.
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