Bengal BJP chief assures beneficiaries as Annapurna Yojana payment delays spark protests
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Sunday, August 23, attributed the delay in disbursing benefits under the Annapurna Yojana scheme to "system problems" and alleged attempts at sabotage, amid protests across the state over non-payment to eligible women.
"There are some deviations and problems with the system. In some places, attempts are being made to sabotage it. That is why this has happened," Bhattacharya said, speaking at an event in neighbouring Howrah.
Under the Annapurna Yojana, eligible women are entitled to Rs 3,000 per month. However, several women who applied within the stipulated timeframe and were found eligible have alleged that they did not receive the payment by August 20, the deadline set by the state government. Bhattacharya sought to reassure beneficiaries that the payments would eventually reach them. "I am saying that everyone will get the Annapurna money," the BJP MP said, adding that nearly 50 lakh more women would soon be brought under the scheme's ambit. He claimed only a small fraction of existing beneficiaries had been affected by the delay. "Another nearly 50 lakh women will receive the benefits. Only two to three per cent have not received the money. Everyone will get it," he said.
His remarks came against the backdrop of protests in several parts of the state, where women who said they had completed the application and verification process demanded the promised assistance. State minister Agnimitra Paul has also faced protests over the issue. [Note: the source text names "Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari" here — please verify and correct, as this appears to be a factual error.] Senior state government officials have repeatedly assured beneficiaries that all eligible women would eventually receive the payments.
Bhattacharya also took aim at the previous Trinamool Congress government over alleged irregularities in the earlier Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. "The kind of fraudulent practices that took place during the Trinamool Congress government, where men received Lakshmir Bhandar benefits, will not happen in Annapurna Yojana," he said.
The Annapurna Yojana was introduced after the state's BJP government reviewed the earlier Lakshmir Bhandar scheme and said benefits would henceforth be restricted to eligible applicants following proper scrutiny. Fresh applications were invited under the new scheme and subjected to a verification process, including online checks.
(With inputs from PTI)
