CM launches fund distribution for 12L beneficiaries; state to bear entire cost

Kolkata: Keeping her promise in light of the Centre not providing any funds, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee began disbursing the first instalment of funds under the Awas Yojana (rural) on Tuesday.

About 12 lakh beneficiaries in Bengal will receive funds under the first instalment within the next few days. Banerjee officially launched the distribution programme by handing over sanction letters as a token to 22 beneficiaries at Nabanna Sabhaghar.

“Bengal ranked number one in Awas Yojana but for the last three years, the Centre didn’t provide a single penny under the scheme and has continued to deprive the poor people of our state.

Around 12 lakh beneficiaries, including one lakh new ones, who were identified through complaints at ‘Sarasari Mukhyomantri’ and survey in connection with damages to houses for natural calamity, have started receiving Rs 60000 as the first instalment under the scheme. We had promised to provide funds entirely from the state exchequer. We fulfilled our promise. A total of Rs 24,000 crore is due from the Centre. Since the funds are being provided entirely by the state, we named this scheme ‘Banglar Bari’,” Banerjee said.

She added that Rs 60,000 would be paid to the beneficiaries in the second instalment. The total expenditure of the state will be to the tune of Rs 14,773 crore. Banerjee remarked that despite sending teams to Bengal for verification in the last three years, the Centre did not release funds to the state. “In the last three years, 69 Central teams came to Bengal and conducted surveys and even spoke to the beneficiaries. We answered all their queries but they have not sent any money,” said the Chief Minister. Banerjee said, based on a survey done with transparency, the state prepared a list of 28 lakh eligible beneficiaries under the scheme. The funds for 12 lakhs will be disbursed in the next few days. The remaining 16 lakh will also receive their share by January 2026.

Among these 16 lakh, 8 lakh will receive funds in May – June 2025 and the rest by December – January.

Banerjee reiterated that Rs 1,71,000 crore are due from the Centre under various schemes which include 100 days work, Aikyashree, Medhashree scholarships, rural roads, among others.