West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been accusing the BJP government at the Centre of not sending funds to the state under PM Awas Yojana, on Tuesday launched a housing scheme, ‘Banglar Bari’, funded entirely by her government.
At a function held at the state secretariat, Nabanna, the chief minister handed over the first installment of the scheme – Rs 60,000 — to 42 beneficiaries from 21 districts.
Speaking at the event, Banerjee said that over 28 lakh genuine beneficiaries have been identified in a survey conducted by the state for the scheme, for which Rs 1.2 lakh would be transferred to them by next December. She also said that 16 lakh more beneficiaries will be given housing allowance before the 2026 Assembly elections in the state.
She also added that the beneficiaries would get the money in two phases, adding that beneficiaries in some areas of Junglemahal and remote areas, would get 1.30 lakh rupees.
“My life is dedicated to working for people. Today, in the interest of the people of rural Bengal, I launched the ‘Banglar Bari’ project… The Centre had already surveyed around 36 lakh families. We also conducted one survey. A draft list was also published and their claims and objections were also verified. We could identify more than 28 lakh beneficiaries,” she said.
Accusing the Centre of not keeping its promises and not paying a single paisa for the ‘Awas Yojana’, the CM said: “The central government has deprived the poor people of the state of their dues for the past three years. We want our rights to be fulfilled, we are not beggars.”
The state will have to bear a total expense of Rs 14,773 crore for this purpose, she added. “If the Centre does not pay, we will pay the rest 16 lakh families. Out of these, we will pay to eight lakh people by May-June and the rest 8 lakh by December in two instalments,” Banerjee said, adding that there is a due of Rs 24,000 crore for this purpose from the Centre.
Govt to spend `1,500 cr to build bridge for Ganga Sagar pilgrims
The CM, meanwhile, said her government would build a five-km-long bridge over Muri Ganga river connecting the mainland with the Sagar Island, where the annual Gangasagar Mela is held, since the Centre has not responded to its repeated appeals in this regard.
The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the four-lane bridge has been conducted, she said. She named the proposed bridge “Gangasagar Sethu” and said that the state would spend Rs 1,500 crore to build the structure, the tender of which has been floated.