Kolkata, May 28: A man was arrested on Thursday in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, for allegedly posing as a woman to receive financial assistance under the state’s Lakshmi Bhandar scheme.
The accused, identified as Rakibul Sheikh, had reportedly been receiving funds from the scheme for two years. The Lakshmi Bhandar scheme is specifically designed for female beneficiaries, and men are not entitled to receive financial aid from it.
Rakibul Sheikh claimed he was unaware of the situation. He visited the Block Development Officer’s office multiple times to have his name removed from the list, but no action was taken. He stated that due to administrative negligence, funds from the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme continued to be deposited into his account for two consecutive years.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari mentioned Rakibul Sheikh’s name during a press briefing at Nabanna Sabhaghar on Wednesday. The administration took cognizance of the matter, leading to Rakibul’s arrest on Wednesday night in the Baharampur police station area of Murshidabad.
Local residents were shocked by the news, raising questions about the authenticity of the beneficiary list for the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme.
During the press conference, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari revealed that, under the TMC-led government’s Lakshmi Bhandar scheme, besides several men, 3 million illegal beneficiaries were receiving monthly payments.
He added that apart from these 3 million illegal beneficiaries, all others receiving monthly allowances under the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme would automatically be enrolled in the new Annapurna scheme, which will replace the existing one.
According to police reports, Sheikh runs a restaurant with two associates and has a stable source of income. His arrest has raised concerns among local residents, prompting questions about the verification process for beneficiaries under the scheme. Rakibul stated, “My wife is a beneficiary of the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme. Money has been coming into my account for the past two years. I went to the BDO office to have my name removed, but no one paid attention. I never applied for it. This is entirely administrative negligence.”
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