With her populist measures providing her huge electoral gains in the recently- concluded Assembly elections, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seems to have decided to continue with them in the coming years too.
The Trinamool Government is planning to construct concrete houses for 20 lakh people in years to come, sources quoting State Food Minister Jyoti Priya Mullick said.
According to the Minister, considering the huge success of projects like Kanyashree, Sabuj Saathi and Khadya Saathi, the State Government is planning to give further doses of “people-oriented measures that will help the poor lead a dignified life.”
Kanyashree project was declared by Banerjee in her first five-year tenure when her Government provided Rs 25,000 to underprivileged girls after crossing 18 years of age. Under Sabuj Saathi or “Green Friend” the Trinamool Government distributed 25 lakh bicycles to schoolgirls. Khadya Saathi was designed to provide Rs 2-a-kg rice to the consumers. This project was an improvement on an earlier Rs 3-a-kg rice project devised by the left Front Government.
“Even if a 100-square feet of concrete enclosure is priced at Rs 500 a square feet, the Government will require a decent Rs 2 lakh crore for the purpose,” said a Trinamool MlA, adding quickly “the beauty of Mamata Banerjee is that she does not wait for funds. She simply starts the work and funds start coming.
The Government is also planning to provide school bags and games, including swings to school children across the State. State Education Minister Partho Chatterjee on Monday said, “The earlier programmes like Kanyasharee got huge response from the people. Similarly we gave free shoes to school kids. This was also well received. Now we are giving games and school bags and hope this will also fulfill the requirements of the poor children.”
The populist programmes taken by the Chief Minister had not only benefited the party politically, but also managed to bring back large number of students, who would otherwise have dropped out of schools. “This has increased female literacy rate in Bengal” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister on Monday left for North Bengal, where she would hold administrative meetings regarding formation of a new district at Alipurduar. Banerjee is also likely to declare a host of other social projects, sources at State secretariat Nabanna said.