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Bengal

7.5 crore people will reap benefits of Bina Mulya Samajik Suraksha

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in the Assembly on Friday that around 7.5 crore people in the state will reap the benefits of the 'Bina Mulya Samajik Suraksha', one of the new schemes introduced by state Finance minister Amit Mitra in his Budget speech.

During a discussion on Governor Jagdeep Dhankar's address, the Chief Minister had given a detailed account of all the new schemes announced by her government and presented an outline before the House as to how they would be implemented for the interest of the people.

During her speech, Banerjee requested Mitra to include landless labourers as beneficiaries under the 'Bina Mulya Samajik Suraksha' (BMSS) scheme.

"As many as 1.18 crore families have already enrolled under the Samajik Suraksha Yojana (SSY) in the state. The number will soon go up to 1.5 crore. If there are around 5 members in each family, the total number of the beneficiaries will turn to 7.5 crore. People belonging to various unorganised sectors will be able to get Provident Fund and various other benefits after they attain the age of 60, without paying a single penny from their pockets," Banerjee said, adding: "Earlier they had to pay a premium of Rs 25 per month while the government used to contribute Rs 30 for each beneficiary. We have now announced that they no longer need to pay a premium as the government will bear the entire cost. In case of death of any beneficiary, his/her family members will receive Rs 2 lakh. If someone becomes disabled, he/she will get Rs 1 lakh."

"I requested both the Finance and Labour department to make the premium completely free as the poor people belonging to unorganised sectors used to face difficulties to pay Rs 25 per month. I also urge the Finance minister to bring landless labourers under the scheme," Banerjee told the House.

Incidentally, the Finance department has allotted Rs 500 crore in the 2020-21 financial year for smooth running of the project. The Chief Minister also highlighted some of the new schemes announced by the government in the Budget.

She said that under the 'Hasir Alo' scheme, 35 lakh people will be able to avail free electricity in their households if they restrict their consumption within 75 units on a quarterly basis.

"If the poor people use an electrical lamp and a fan prudently, the consumption may not exceed 75 units in a quarter," Banerjee stated. The state government has allotted a fund of Rs 200 crore for the scheme.

To provide housing facilities to the tea garden workers, the state government has announced 'Chaa Sundari' scheme and allotted a fund of Rs 500 crore for the implementation of the project.

Banerjee alleged that Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had promised that the Centre would acquire 5 tea gardens in North Bengal, but nothing happened.

She also pointed out that work would be started at Deocha Pachami, a coal block in Birbhum, after the local people residing at the project site are rehabilitated. In 2011, there were 80 it is, but the number has gone up to 272 in the past nine years, Banerjee added.

On the issue of Dearness Allowance (DA), the Chief Minister slammed the erstwhile Left Front government, saying: "Around 90 percent DA had remained due when we came to power. The Centre can give a hike twice a year but we don't have so much resource. We will, however, give 17 percent DA in a phased manner. We have increased the gratuity from Rs 6 lakh to 123 lakh and home allowance from Rs 6,000 to 12,000."

"We have been carrying out all the schemes despite financial crunch. We have repaid Rs 3,00,000 crore to the Centre in the past eight years and Rs 56,000 crore during 2019-20. Meanwhile, the Centre has denied us Rs 38,000 crore," said Banerjee, taking potshots at the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. She also mentioned 'Bandhu Prakalpa' and 'Jai Johar Prakalpa', under which the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe people above the age of 60 will get a monthly pension of Rs 1,000 if they are not covered under any scheme.

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