First Annapurna Yojana funds credited to 1.1 crore women: CM Suvendu
The BJP's flagship social security scheme, Annapurna Yojana, which outsmarted former Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's patent Laxmir Bhandar, sucking a majority of women's votes into the saffron wallet and catapulting her successor Suvendu Adhikari to power, has reached 1.1 crore beneficiaries well within 60 days of the BJP coming to power.
Chief Minister Adhikari announced this at a grand programme at Netaji Indoor Stadium, saying his Government had worked hard not only to fulfil the party's electoral promise but also to silence the sceptics about the practicability of such a humongous scheme requiring funds and an effective filter to sieve out ineligible claimants.
The first tranche of Annapurna Yojana, which ensures a Rs 3,000 monthly benefit to the deserving women, had been transferred, the Chief Minister said, adding about 26 lakh applications had been turned down on account of suspect citizenship or domicile status, he said. There had been 1.6 crore applications, the Chief Minister said, adding, “Twenty-six lakh of such applications under the Annapurna Yojna have been rejected because scrutiny is required.”
The earlier TMC Government had implemented the Laxmir Bhandar scheme, initially transferring Rs 1,000 to women and later increasing it to Rs 1,500 before the April-May State elections.
The scheme covered more than 2 crore beneficiaries, a large number of whom comprised either foreign nationals or male recipients. Only the eligible Indian citizens will receive the fund through the direct benefit transfer scheme (DBT), and no non-Indian will get it, the Chief Minister said, adding, “We cannot transfer taxpayers' money from the government coffers to non-Indians.”
Already, hundreds of males, mostly close to the Trinamool Congress, who were receiving Laxmir Bhandar — a scheme targeting women only — have been identified and de-notified by the present Government.
Another BJP leader and MLA said the Government did a humongous job of identifying the ineligible people from the eligible ones. “The officials were highly sincere, and they managed to do it on time … most of the doubtful names have been purged out,” he said, adding, “This is the effect of a double-engine Government and the people of Bengal will soon see many more examples of that.”
Those who had still not received or applied for the scheme can check their eligibility and apply directly through the official myScheme Portal, he said, adding those who were getting Laxmir Bhandar would automatically be included in the scheme, subject to verification. All the eligible beneficiaries under the Annapurna Yojana Bhandar scheme are being identified before transferring the amount to their bank accounts, he said.
Earlier, speaking at a programme meant for Scheduled Tribes, the Chief Minister warned that those who had issued false ST certificates and those who were using such certificates would be strongly dealt with.
“During the previous TMC regime, there has been large-scale irregularities in issuing ST certificates … the Government is looking into it and those issued false certificates and those who have been using these certificates will be jailed,” he said at a programme at Bankura.
