Kolkata: With over 30 lakh people applying for Lakshmir Bhandar scheme in the first three days of Duare Sarkar camps, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday assured that no genuine beneficiaries would be left out from the benefits of the basic income scheme for women and if needed the number of days of the outreach drive would be increased.
Addressing a Press conference after holding a state-level administrative review meeting at Nabanna Sabhaghar, Banerjee explained that other women aged between 25 and 60 years of a family would also get the benefits of the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme though Swastha Sathi card is issued in the name of women head of the family. This was the first state-level administrative review meeting after Trinamool Congress (TMC) returned to power for the third consecutive term with a thumping majority. Ministers and senior officers were present at Nabanna Sabhaghar while District Magistrates and superintendents of police joined the meeting virtually.
The state government has received a total of 46 lakh applications for enrollment in different state-run projects by conducting 2,650 Duare Sarkar camps across the state. Receiving an overwhelming response, at least 30 lakh applications were received only to get enrolled under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme that ensures minimum basic income where a woman member of a general caste family would get Rs 500 per month that is Rs 6000 per annum and one from an SC or ST family would get Rs 1000 per month that is Rs 12,000 annually.
With reports of chaos coming from some camps, the Chief Minister said: "There is nothing to hurry. Duare Sarkar camps would be held for a month till September 15. Not a single genuine beneficiary would get left out. If needed the number of Duare Sarkar camps would be increased by two to three days. At least 1.5 crore people received Swasthya Sathi cards and now Lakshmir Bhandar is the right of Bengal mother and sisters".
She further cautioned people urging them not to collect application forms from anyone else apart from the dedicated counters at Duare Sarkar camps.
Banerjee also stated about the problems faced by common people due to the merger of Punjab National Bank with that of the United Bank of India. The reason being the change in IFS code of respective branches of the bank after the merger is causing inconvenience to people. "Even there are inadequate Bengali speaking people at the banks.
I have no problem with any other language. But people in rural Bengal communicate only in Bengali. Adequate staff who are fluent in Bengal should be present to assist the people at the banks," Banerjee said.
The Chief Minister also stressed on the convergence of the 100 days work scheme for other related works to help more rural people to reap the benefits of the MGNREGA. She also directed to take steps to repair the village roads that got damaged due to heavy rainfall at the earliest.
Meanwhile, after the administrative meeting, Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi held a virtual meeting with all District Magistrates in regard to crowd control at Duare Sarkar camps. Specially when reports of chaos were received from certain camps in Malda. Suggestions have been given to organise camps for Lakshmir Bhandar in every booth level.