Lakshmir Bhandar: Direct transfer of benefit before Puja

Kolkata: The state government would ensure direct transfer of benefits of Lakshmir Bhandar scheme in the bank accounts of the beneficiaries before Durga Puja apart from —Nadia, Cooch Behar, North and South 24-Parganas—with the model code of conduct in place for the bypoll scheduled on October 30.

However, the beneficiaries from these districts would get the amount of two months —September and October —transferred in their bank accounts in one go in the month of November after the bypolls in the four districts are over.

The bypolls are scheduled at South 24-Parganas' Gosaba due to the death of TMC's MLA Jayanta Naskar and at Khardah in North 24-Parganas 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 MLA despite winning the Assembly elections.

While addressing a Press conference at Nabanna, Mamata Banerjee said: "The Election Commission has given us the permission to carry on with the project as it is an ongoing scheme. Only it cannot be transferred in the bank accounts of the beneficiaries in Nadia, Cooch Behar, North and South 24-Parganas."

The Election Commission has also allowed the state government to give out the Durga Puja grant of Rs 50,000 to the Puja organisers, the Chief Minister stated.