The West Bengal government on Wednesday launched the Annapurna Yojana under which 2,825,769 women beneficiaries will receive Rs 3,000 each in the first phase.
Launching the scheme at a press conference at Nabanna, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said once the verification for new applicants is completed, the funds will be directly credited to their bank accounts.
“Our target is to ensure that every eligible woman receives the benefit,” the CM said.
On the occasion, Adhikari, Women and Child Development Minister Agnimitra Pzul and Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh handed over cheques of Rs 3,000 each to five women beneficiaries.
Adhikari said the government would hold briefings every seven days to inform people about the number of verified beneficiaries and newly enrolled recipients of Annapurna Yojana, which replaces the previous TMC government’s ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee and the double-engine government’s commitment have ensured that the promise to provide the aid of Rs 3,000 has been implemented,” he said.
The CM said the scheme was dedicated to the empowerment of women and hailed their contributions to society. Referring to West Bengal as a “land of women icons ranging from Rani Rashmoni to freedom fighter Matangini Hazra”, he said women had played a pioneering role in spirituality, culture and social movements. The CM said the free bus travel scheme for women has received an enthusiastic public response.
Alleging corruption in the previous government’s ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme, the CM said that verification is now being conducted with complete transparency. People whose names have been deleted from the voter list under the SIR (Special Intensive revision) will no longer receive benefits under the scheme, he said.
The CM, however, said refugees who fled Bangladesh following religious persecution will be considered for the scheme. “The Hindu refugees who came to West Bengal from Bangladesh to save their lives following religious persecution, and the 121,000 individuals who have applied under the CAA… we are not considering them under the permanently canceled list,” he said. Those people, whose cases are pending before tribunals, are not being excluded from the list.
The CM announced that the form-filling process for the scheme will continue for the next three months. For those unable to submit forms online or in person, government volunteers will visit their homes to complete the process, he said.
The CM also announced that the process of migrating the ‘Swasthya Sathi’ scheme to the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ portal has commenced.
To establish direct communication with the public and resolve issues related to government services, the Chief Minister launched a dedicated helpline number: 82820 82820. The helpline will be operational from Monday to Saturday, between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Additionally, citizens can lodge their complaints via email at asap@wb.gov.in.