The West Bengal government has started the process of rolling out the much-discussed Annapurna Yojana, under which eligible women are set to receive ₹3,000 in financial assistance. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday assured that beneficiaries of the existing Lakshmir Bhandar scheme would continue getting their current payments until the new scheme becomes fully operational.
Speaking after an administrative meeting in Kalyani, the Chief Minister said the transition from Lakshmir Bhandar to Annapurna Yojana had already begun. He also confirmed that beneficiaries would need to submit a dedicated form to receive the revised amount.
Adhikari said that he, along with Agnimitra Paul, would release the application form for Annapurna Yojana from Nabanna on Wednesday in the presence of the concerned minister, the chief secretary, the finance secretary and other senior officials. He added that beneficiaries would have to fill out the form to receive benefits under the scheme.
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Forms to be available online and offline
The government is expected to begin transferring money under the scheme from June 1. Officials, however, will first carry out the registration and verification process. To avoid disruption in benefits, the Chief Minister clarified that Lakshmir Bhandar payments would continue in the meantime.
According to Adhikari, the application form will be made available both online and offline from Wednesday. He said local MLAs and administrative officials would assist people with the process.
He said the responsibility would not be left entirely to the public, adding that MLAs would take the initiative to help people fill out the forms, while teams under the supervision of BDOs would visit homes to assist beneficiaries with the process.
The Chief Minister also stressed that only Indian citizens would be eligible for the scheme. He said those who are not citizens of the country would not receive the benefits, adding that government funds were not meant for illegal infiltrators from Bangladesh.
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Maa canteens to serve fish twice a week
Alongside the welfare scheme announcement, the state government also introduced changes to meals served at Maa Canteens. Adhikari said fish and rice would now be served twice every week for ₹5, while egg-rice meals would continue on the remaining days at the same price.
He further announced that women would soon be able to travel free on government buses, adding that the Cabinet had already approved the decision, and implementation had begun. Cards for the scheme may be introduced later, he said.
The Chief Minister also confirmed that public welfare camps will be held across the state on June 15, 16 and 17 to spread awareness about Central and state government schemes.
