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Bengal

Mamata calls for faster disbursement of aid under Banglar Awas Yojana

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged senior officials of the state Panchayat department to remodel the disbursement of financial aid under Banglar Awas Yojana and offer it in two instalments to the beneficiaries.
"The people face difficulties when the amount is handed over to them in four instalments. The cost of building materials and other requisite cost are on the rise. But we have to follow a certain system as mandated by the state and the Centre in this regard. However, considering the practical difficulties faced by the people, I will urge my officials to remodel the payment structure and pay the beneficiaries in two instalments," Banerjee said. "We have to stand beside the hapless and set up roofs over their heads so that the people can at least live life with respect," she said.
According to the Bangla Awas Yojana, the state government provides Rs 1.30 lakh to the people of Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram and West Midnapore (Junglemahal), while for the remaining districts, the aid amounts to Rs 1.20 lakh.
As per the current framework, the amount is given in four instalments of Rs 40,000, Rs 30,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 10,000 (when the total amount is Rs 1.20 lakh), while the instalments are Rs 44,000, Rs 32,000, Rs 42,000 and Rs 12,000 respectively, for Junglemahal. The total number of economically challenged people who will be getting the funds under this project is around 5.86 lakh.
Banerjee maintained that her government, in the last six years, has constructed 25 lakh houses for the poor under different housing schemes. "Bengal is number one in housing and rural employment generation," she added.
Banerjee said that the Panchayat department will initiate construction of 8,000 km of rural roads. "The new roads would be flagged off on February 13 from Nadia. I would direct the district authorities to float necessary tenders. A total of 33,000 km of rural roads have already been constructed in the state," she said.
She also slammed the Centre for the frequent rise of petrol and diesel prices and price of essential commodities. "The petrol and diesel prices are hiked every month. Along with this, the price of essential commodities, clothes and other items have also gone up. The price hike has set our kitchen on fire," she said. She acknowledged the significance of grassroot-level workers in development work and said that the three-tier Panchayat system establishes a direct link to people in the best possible manner. "We have abolished khajna tax on agricultural land. We have given compensation worth Rs 1,200 crore to 30 lakh families who have suffered due to floods," Banerjee said.
Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said that the state has bagged the first position in some major Central schemes in recent times.

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