BJP leader Agnimitra Paul has demanded a detailed investigation into how many 'women from Bangladesh' are receiving benefits under the West Bengal government’s Lokhhir Bhandar scheme.
At the press meet at the BJP headquarters of West Bengal, she raised the issue after observing that thousands of people from the Swarupnagar and Hakimpur check-post areas are crossing the border with all their belongings. According to the women leaving the state due to the implementation of SIR, their documents were prepared for them, and they had been receiving benefits under ‘Lokhhir Bhandar’.
Paul said that ₹48,000 crore has already allegedly been spent on ‘Lokhhir Bhandar’ and 2 crore 15 lakh women in West Bengal are listed as beneficiaries. She questioned the government’s transparency and demanded clarity on how many beneficiaries are actually from Bangladesh.
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She also highlighted that the number of school dropouts in the state is increasing each day. Even though the government promotes the slogan “Bangla Nijer Meyeke Chay” and says it supports women, she stated that the on-ground situation does not reflect these claims.
She stated, “Just imagine the state of affairs in West Bengal! Even though our Chief Minister is a woman, atrocities against women continue to rise at an alarming rate."
She also added, "The Chief Minister has failed to ensure women’s safety and failed to provide employment opportunities for them.”
Presenting statistics, Paul said women’s participation in the West Bengal workforce is only 33.8 percent, much lower than in states like Maharashtra and Gujarat. Quoting NITI Aayog data, she noted that only one out of three women in the state receives employment. She further pointed out that early marriages, before the legal age, are happening frequently.
Citing the Registrar General of India, she said that the maternal mortality rate is disproportionately high in the state.
Along with MLA Agnimitra Paul, other leaders, Chandana Bauri, Rekha Patra and Pranati Majhi, addressed the media.
