West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the allowance under the ‘Yuva Sathi’ scheme will start being credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts from March 7. She made the announcement from the protest stage at Metro Channel on March 7.

The Chief Minister said the payments were initially scheduled to begin from April 1, but the government decided to release the funds earlier. According to Banerjee, the early rollout has been announced as a gift for International Women’s Day.

She informed that nearly one crore young men and women between the ages of 21 and 40 have applied for the scheme. Under the ‘Yuva Sathi’ scheme, eligible applicants will receive an allowance of ₹1,500 per month. The amount will be transferred directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts.

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To qualify for the scheme, applicants must have passed the secondary examination or an equivalent level of education. The benefit is meant for individuals who currently do not have a job or any source of work. Eligible beneficiaries can receive the allowance for a maximum period of five years.

However, individuals who are already receiving benefits under any state government scheme will not be eligible for ‘Yuva Sathi’. At the same time, the Chief Minister clarified that students who receive scholarships or benefits under schemes such as Sikshashree, Kanyashree or Rupashree can still apply for the allowance.

Mamata Banerjee explained that these schemes are meant to support education and help students continue their studies. Therefore, recipients of those scholarships will still be considered eligible for the ‘Yuva Sathi’ scheme.