West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday announced a series of key decisions after holding an administrative review meeting in Kalyani with officials from Nadia, North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts. Cabinet members were also present during the coordination meeting, where discussions focused on welfare schemes, health services and public outreach initiatives.
One of the biggest announcements was related to the Annapurna Yojana. The Chief Minister said application forms for the scheme will be released on Wednesday and will be available in both online and offline modes. People willing to receive benefits under the Annapurna Bhandar scheme will have to complete the enrolment process through these forms.
According to the Chief Minister, the state administration has been asked to speed up the transition process from Lakshmir Bhandar to Annapurna Bhandar. He added that beneficiaries would begin receiving financial assistance soon after enrolment begins.
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Suvendu Adhikari said during the press conference that the Annapurna Yojana process would begin from the next day and the ₹3,000 transfers would start gradually as people completed the form fill-up process.
Lakshmir Bhandar to continue for now
The Chief Minister also clarified that the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme would continue until the transfer process under Annapurna Yojana becomes fully operational. Drawing a comparison with the ongoing Swasthya Sathi to Ayushman Bharat transition, he said existing beneficiaries would not lose support during the conversion phase.
He said that Lakshmir Bhandar would continue until the ₹3,000 transfer process begins, just as Swasthya Sathi has been kept operational until its conversion to Ayushman Bharat is completed.
He further stated that only Indian citizens would be eligible for the scheme benefits.
Maa canteens to serve fish-rice meals twice a week
Another major decision announced by the state government concerns Maa Canteens. The Chief Minister said fish and rice meals would now be served twice a week at the subsidised canteens for ₹5. He informed that nearly 400 Maa Canteens are currently operating across the state.
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Bengal govt plans separate AYUSH wing, new citizen helpline
The state government has also decided to separate the AYUSH department from the Health Department. Alongside this, work is underway to convert the Swasthya Sathi scheme into Ayushman Bharat, though benefits under the existing scheme will continue until the transition is completed.
A new public grievance helpline named “Apnar Sarkarke Bolun” will also be launched soon, replacing the earlier “Mukhyamantrike Bolun” service. The government is expected to announce the new helpline number shortly.
