Benefits transferred to 80L accounts ahead of Puja

Kolkata: The Bengal government has ensured direct transfer of benefits to the bank accounts of 80 lakh beneficiaries under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme ahead of Durga Puja.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier assured that people would get the benefit before Puja. Keeping her promise, around 80 lakh women have received the same.

The state government had earlier allotted Rs 2.48 crore for the implementation of Lakshmir Bhandar. Sources said another Rs 850 crore has been allotted for implementation of the project under which a woman from a general category and SC/ST category would get Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 per month.

This comes when around 1.97 crore women have applied to avail the scheme.

It was Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's announcement before the Assembly polls to initiate the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme that received an overwhelming response with maximum footfall at Duare Sarkar camps of applicants enrolling under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme.

According to the sources in the state Secretariat, the benefits have been transferred to the bank accounts of beneficiaries in all districts apart from Nadia, Cooch Behar, North and South 24-Parganas where bypolls are scheduled on October 30. The bypolls are scheduled in South 24-Parganas' Gosaba due to the death of TMC's MLA Jayanta Naskar and in North 24-Parganas' Khardah due to the tragic death of Trinamool Congress nominee Kajal Sinha.

The by-elections in Cooch Behar's Dinhata and Nadia's Santipur Assembly constituencies are going to be held as BJP MPs Nisith Pramanik and Jagannath Sarkar respectively had refused to continue as MLAs despite winning the elections.