Adhikari introduced a form for the ‘Annapurna Bhandar’ scheme, which will be verified by officials before enrolment, as announced by the BJP government to provide Rs 3,000 per month for eligible women in the state.
Addressing a press conference at the state administrative headquarters, Nabanna, Adhikari said “approximately 30 lakh beneficiaries” were receiving Lakshmir Bhandar assistance despite being ineligible as their names had been permanently deleted from the voter list, or they had not applied to a SIR-linked tribunal or for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) for inclusion.
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Stating that around 2.20 crore beneficiaries are in the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, he said these 30 lakh ineligible entries belong to non-Indians, deceased persons, or non-existent persons.
“We feel there will finally be around two crore beneficiaries for the Annapurna Bhandar scheme,” he said.
He said that CAA applicants and those who have appealed to an SIR-linked tribunal after adjudication for entry on the voter list would, however, be eligible for the ‘Annapurna Bhandar’ scheme.Adhikari said that the BJP had promised in its manifesto to introduce the ‘Annapurna Bhandar’, replacing the erstwhile Mamata Banerjee government’s ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’.
Under the ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme, women in the general category used to get Rs 1,500 per month, and Rs 1,700 for the SC/ST category.
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“Our first notion was that the Lakshmir Bhandar list was verified,” but we got a large number of complaints that names which were permanently deleted from the voter list and application were not made in the tribunal or CAA were among the beneficiaries of Lakshmir Bhandar, he said.
“To ensure financial transparency, our Cabinet feels that only the West Bengal resident women who are eligible for the financial security assistance must get its benefit,” Adhikari said.
Introducing a form for the purpose of giving the Annapurna Bhandar scheme benefits to actual beneficiaries, the chief minister said that the Women and Child Welfare Minister Agnimitra Paul’s department will be the nodal authority for the purpose.
“But since this is a huge exercise, the whole administration, under the leadership of the state’s chief secretary and finance secretary, will be attached to it, including the district magistrates, block development officers and the commissioners of municipal corporations,” Adhikari said.
He said that apart from them, the Home Par department and those who work for Aadhaar card enrolment will also be part of the process for ensuring a transparent list so that eligible beneficiaries get the financial assistance.
Adhikari said that since completing the process of enrolment will take some time, the ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ beneficiaries will continue to receive their financial assistance as per the erstwhile scheme.
“We have sought some detailed information in the form to collect family data because, apart from the Annapurna Yojana, our government also wants to assist these families in other welfare schemes from both the Centre and the state,” the chief minister said.
“We will continue the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme until the forms are filled and enrolment is completed for Annapurna Yojana,” the CM said.
“We are trying to ensure that those who successfully enrol by June 2 will have their funds transferred after the Cabinet meeting the next day through DBT (direct bank transfer),” he said.
The CM said that the enrolment process will continue daily and those whose forms are verified will automatically have their names transferred from Lakshmir Bhandar to the Annapurna Yojana.
“Till their enrolment is completed, the beneficiaries will not be deprived of Lakshmir Bhandar benefit,” Adhikari said, maintaining that this is the promise of a humane government.
He said the government will hold the process of enrolment for 90 days from June 1, and that it can be done through both online and offline mode.
Adhikari said that in panchayat areas, the supervisors and other officials will launch a door-to-door 30-day drive for filling up of forms and enrolment.
Giving an example of a male beneficiary of the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, the chief minister said that false entries were made in it owing to lack of verification.
Maintaining that the clauses in the newly-introduced enrolment form have been kept simple, he said that the MLAs will also assist the officials in the process.
“We want those who are attached to the mainstream of the nation to get the benefit,” he said, asserting that the financially weaker sections of women will benefit from the Annapurna Bhandar scheme.
Adhikari said that women will have the benefit of free travel in state government undertaking buses from Monday, while maintaining that an identity card for them will be introduced for them at a later stage for the purpose.
He said that Women and Child Welfare Minister Agnimitra Paul will provide updated figures on enrolment for the Annapurna Yojana every week from June 3 onwards.
Expressing hope that the enrolment process may be completed in a month’s time, he said that after that, the final figures and other data will be posted on the state government’s website.
Adhikari said that cards for the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme, which has been approved in the state Cabinet for introduction in West Bengal and enrolment has already commenced, are likely to start being given to the beneficiaries in July.
“The Memorandum of Understanding with the Central government in this regard will be signed on June 8,” he said, adding that the state has already been sanctioned Rs 976 crore for the current fiscal under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Adhikari said that till the Ayushman Bharat scheme implementation in the state is completed, no one will be deprived of the erstwhile state government’s Swasthya Sathi healthcare scheme.
