Kolkata, May 27: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari revealed to reporters on Wednesday that nearly 3 million illegal beneficiaries have been receiving monthly payments under the Lakshmi Bhandar Scheme initiated by the previous Mamata Banerjee-led government.
He further stated that aside from these 3 million illegal beneficiaries, all other eligible individuals receiving monthly allowances under the Lakshmi Bhandar Scheme will automatically be enrolled in the Annapurna Scheme, which will replace the existing program.
Adhikari assured that current valid beneficiaries of the Lakshmi Bhandar Scheme will continue to receive benefits under the old scheme until they are transitioned to the Annapurna Scheme, which offers an increased monthly allowance of ₹3,000.
The Chief Minister urged all concerned parties to fill out the enrollment forms for the Annapurna Scheme as soon as possible. The official portal for enrollment was launched on Wednesday and is now open for beneficiaries.
Enrollment can be completed both offline and online. Additionally, the Chief Minister announced that a new facility will soon be introduced, allowing state government employees to assist beneficiaries in filling out forms at their homes.
He emphasized that there is no rush, as the enrollment process will last for three months.
Adhikari also mentioned that Agnimitra Paul, the minister in charge of the Women and Child Development and Social Welfare departments, will provide weekly updates on the enrollment progress through the media.
During his interaction with reporters, the Chief Minister clarified who would not be eligible for benefits under the Annapurna Scheme. He stated that only Indian-origin women would qualify. Non-Indians, income taxpayers, or individuals employed by government or government-aided organizations will not be able to benefit from the Annapurna Scheme.
According to him, many illegal beneficiaries (including illegal immigrants and men) were taking advantage of the Lakshmi Bhandar Scheme.
Initially, it was believed that the list of beneficiaries for the Lakshmi Bhandar Scheme had been verified. However, numerous complaints have been received regarding this matter. Approximately 3 million individuals, whose names have been permanently removed from the voter list and who have not applied to the tribunal, are still benefiting from the Lakshmi Bhandar Scheme.
The Chief Minister clarified that this is why they are requesting everyone to fill out the Annapurna Scheme forms to facilitate the removal of such names. Those applying for citizenship under the CAA will be eligible for this scheme. Individuals whose names have been removed from the SIR but have applied to the tribunal will also temporarily remain on the exception list.
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