2 weeks ago
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One of the galore promises made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the West Bengal assembly elections 2026 was that it would treble currency incentives to each pistillate successful the state, which they were receiving nether the Lakshmir Bhandar strategy started by the Trinamool Congress government.
This committedness is turning retired to beryllium the archetypal situation for the Suvendu Adhikari authorities arsenic the West Bengal authorities tries to instrumentality the Annapurna Yojana, doubling the currency inducement of ₹1,500 per period nether the earlier strategy to ₹3,000 per month
Mr. Adhikari connected Wednesday released a signifier that beneficiaries seeking to enrol with the strategy request to fill. The West Bengal Chief Minister said determination volition beryllium verification of applicants successful a play of 90 days, and those who person been enlisted successful the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme request to apply.
Mr. Adhikari said that astir 30 lakh beneficiaries of Lakshmir Bhandar were ineligible arsenic they were either non-Indians oregon their names were permanently deleted from the elector list.
While the State authorities volition proceed the Lakshmir Bhandar strategy till the verification is complete, filing up the 11-page exertion signifier and gathering each the criteria of the West Bengal authorities whitethorn beryllium challenging for the 2.2 crore beneficiaries. The 11-page exertion signifier seeks each the details of the applicant and each his household members. The details sought are onshore documents, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and slope details of the household members.
While Lakshmir Bhandar was cosmopolitan successful nature, the eligibility criteria for availing the payment of Annapurna Bhandar are the good people which the electorate of the State whitethorn person missed successful the din and vigor and particulate of assembly polls.
Going by Mr. Adhikari’s remarks that astir 30 lakh beneficiaries are not eligible, the Bharatiya Janata Party authorities volition person to transportation ₹3,000 to astir 2 crore beneficiaries. This puts a load of ₹6,000 crore connected the State exchequer per period and ₹72,000 crore connected the exchequer per year.
The interim fund for the 2026-27 fiscal twelvemonth of the West Bengal authorities was ₹4.06 lakh crore, and if the Suvendu Adhikari authorities gives Annapurna Bhandar to adjacent 2 crore beneficiaries, this would outgo 18 % to the State Budget.
The fiscal load which Annapurna Bhandar would person connected the State exchequer is what is prompting the West Bengal authorities to verify the existing beneficiaries of Lakshmir Bhandar resistance and its feet connected the implementation of the promised scheme.
Annapurna Yojana becomes Agni Pariksha
“The 11-page Annapurna Yojana signifier has go similar an Agni Pareeksha for the 2.2. crore women successful West Bengal who were beneficiaries of a akin strategy earlier and who person to present beryllium their eligibility,” Anuradha Talwar of Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity said.
The PBKMS analysed some the schemes and pointed retired that portion the Lakshmir Bhandar signifier is fundamentally a abbreviated beneficiary exertion signifier to beryllium filled up by women themselves to get a benefit, the Annapurna Yojana signifier is fundamentally a broad signifier to cod socio economical information astir the full family.
“Does the caller Government person to usage the tiny magnitude of wealth that is fixed to women arsenic a means to unit women to spell done this immense exercise?” the Union of Agricultural Workers said.
The adjacent situation which the archetypal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) authorities is apt to look is the committedness to instrumentality the 7th wage committee successful the State and the outgo of the Dearness Allowance arrears to the State authorities worker arrears.
While the committedness of implementing the 7th wage committee was made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, it was aboriginal recovered successful the BJP manifesto. The Supreme Court successful February 2026 directed the West Bengal authorities to wage the Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears from 2008 to 2019 to astir 20 lakh West Bengal authorities employees. The DA arrears unsocial are apt to outgo ₹40,000 crore to the State exchequer.
