Kolkata

The West Bengal government on Wednesday launched the Annapurna Yojana for women and began the process of transferring Rs 3,000 per month to 28.25 lakh beneficiaries enrolled in the first phase.

The rollout of this financial assistance scheme was one of the key poll promises of the BJP in this year's assembly elections. It has replaced the previous TMC government's 'Lakshmir Bhandar' scheme, under which around 2.42 crore women received a maximum of Rs 1,500 per month.

Inaugurating the Annapurna Yojana, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said 28.25 lakh women had been verified and registered on the dedicated portal over the past three days.

Officials said the enrolment process will continue for the next three months, both online and offline, with applications being accepted at block development offices, municipal offices and designated government centres.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee and the double-engine government's commitment have ensured that the promise to provide the aid of Rs 3,000 has been implemented," Adhikari said after the launch.

The chief minister said fresh applications would continue to be accepted, and all eligible beneficiaries would be brought under the scheme.

"As forms are received and verification is completed, Rs 3,000 will be transferred to the beneficiaries' accounts. Our target is to ensure that every eligible woman receives the benefit," he said.

Defending the fresh registration exercise, Adhikari said the government decided to re-verify beneficiaries after discovering that many people whose names had been permanently deleted from electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision, continued to avail benefits under welfare schemes such as Lakshmir Bhandar.

He said the BJP government was committed to ensuring that public funds reached only eligible Indian citizens and asserted that no "non-Indian" would be allowed to receive benefits under government schemes.

The chief minister, however, clarified that persons whose cases were under appeal before tribunals and Hindu refugees from Bangladesh who had applied for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act can also apply.

Adhikari alleged that under the previous regime, ineligible beneficiaries, including men and illegal immigrants, had received benefits under women's welfare schemes, taking advantage of corruption and inadequate verification mechanisms.

"The fresh application and verification process has been introduced to ensure transparency and prevent irregularities," he said.

The chief minister also assured people that those unable to complete the enrolment process on their own would be helped by government employees at their homes, if necessary.

The government would issue updates every seven days on the number of verified beneficiaries and new enrolments, the chief minister said.

He said the scheme was aimed at strengthening the economic security of women and recalled the contributions of women icons from West Bengal, including Rani Rashmoni and freedom fighter Matangini Hazra.

Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal said teams would go door to door to fill out the form, and people can raise objections if someone's eligibility to receive benefits under the scheme is cancelled.

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The West Bengal government launched a helpline and email for people to lodge their grievances. People can lodge complaints by dialling 82820-82820 between 9 am and 6 pm from Monday to Saturday, or by emailing [email protected].

The chief minister also held three 'Janata Darbars', meeting common people and helping them resolve their problems.