Annapurna scheme
The West Bengal government has approved the Annapurna scheme this week. This scheme will replace the Lakshmi Bhandar Scheme which provides financial assistance to women every month and will be implemented from next month.
After the cabinet meeting at the State Secretariat Nabanna, Minister Agnimitra Paul told in the press conference that Annapurna Scheme, which will provide financial assistance of Rs 3,000 every month to women, will be started from June 1. Along with this, the facility of free travel for women in government buses has also been approved.
In the notification issued by the Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department, it has been said that to avail the benefits of the scheme, certain conditions have to be fulfilled.
How much help will be provided under the scheme?
Under Annapurna Yojana, all eligible women will be given Rs 3,000 every month. Earlier, under the Lakshmi Bhandar Scheme of the Trinamool Congress government, women used to get monthly assistance of Rs 1,500.
Who can apply?
Women between 25 to 60 years can apply for this scheme. However, some conditions have also been fixed.
- Women should not be permanent government employees
- he is not getting salary or pension
- She should not be an income tax payer
Minister Agnimitra Paul also said that women who have applied for citizenship under CAA or have approached the tribunal to get their names added to the voter list, will also get the benefit of the scheme.
How will the application be done?
The government will start a special online portal from June 1, where new applicant women will be able to apply. According to the notification, the application will be examined by authorized officials of the government or Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
How to get money?
The scheme will be implemented from June 1. The government will send money directly to the beneficiary’s Aadhaar linked bank account through DBT i.e. Direct Benefit Transfer System.
What will happen to those under Lakshmi Bhandar Yojana?
The existing beneficiaries of Lakshmi Bhandar Yojana will automatically be included in Annapurna Yojana. However, those whose names have been removed from the voter list, have died, have been shifted to another place or have been found duplicate, can be excluded. The government has made it clear that in the future also, the names of dead or transferred beneficiaries will continue to be removed regularly.
