Bengal govt staff to visit beneficiaries' homes to fill Annapurna Yojana forms: CM Adhikari
Kolkata, May 30
Amid speculation over the complexity of the 12-page application form for the Annapurna Yojana, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday said state government staff will visit beneficiaries' homes to assist them in filling out the forms.
The scheme offers a monthly allowance of Rs 3000 to the women in the state.
The Chief Minister made this announcement while speaking to the media on the sidelines of a cervical cancer vaccination camp inauguration in Bidhannagar, on the outskirts of Kolkata.
"There is no need to pay heed to the speculations and rumours over the complexities of filling the Annapurna Yojana forms. Every woman eligible to receive the benefits under the schemes will receive the amount. We want the genuine recipients to get the money. We will ensure that no non-Indian or male person gets this money," the Chief Minister said.
Thereafter, he said that the first phase of disbursement under the Annapurna Yojana scheme will be done on June 3, and the amount will be credited directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
"The state government will go to everyone's house to fill out the forms. They will get the forms filled out for the beneficiaries. There is no need to pay heed to any kind of rumour," the Chief Minister said.
Annapurna Yojana replaced the previous Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, introduced by the Mamata Banerjee government. The monthly payment amount under the Annapurna Yojana has been increased to Rs 3,000.
Initially, the new state government announced that all existing Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries will automatically get enrolled for the Annapurna Yojana scheme. However, later, the state government detected several ineligible persons, including males who had been receiving money under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme.
The state government then decided to introduce a 12-page form for enrollment under the Annapurna Yojana.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting to see a state government in India taking such proactive steps. In the US, we struggle with similar issues of eligible people missing out on benefits due to complicated forms. Hope this works out well for Bengal's women.
Waah! Finally some action to prevent misuse. Earlier in Lakshmir Bhandar, so many ineligible people were getting money - even heard of men getting it! Good that they are now verifying and going door to door. But is 12-page form really necessary? Could have simplified it na? 🤔
While the intention seems good, I wonder about the implementation. Will these govt staff truly reach every household in remote areas? And what about privacy concerns when they enter homes to fill forms? These are important questions.
Ekdum sahi hai! This is how welfare schemes should work - reaching the doorstep of the needy. But hope they also ensure proper training for these staff so they don't harass or discriminate against poor women. Implementation is the key, CM sahab! 💪
Rs 3000 per month is good but not enough for a family in today's inflation. Still, it's better than nothing and the doorstep service is commendable. Let's see if June 3 deadline is actually met. Bengal's bureaucracy is notorious for delays. 😅
R We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.