State expects huge response for 'Lakshmir Bhandar', steps up measures

Kolkata: Realising that the maximum turn out this time at Duare Sarkar camps would be for "Lakshmir Bhandar" scheme, the state government is prepping up to ensure that beneficiaries do not face any inconvenience in submitting application forms for the same at the camps to be held from August 16 to September 15 this time.

Holding a virtual meeting on Friday, Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi has given a set of directions to District Magistrates to ensure smooth enrollment of beneficiaries for a direct transfer in the beneficiaries' accounts that would be initiated from September 1.

Sources said directions have been given to complete the processing of verification and other related works within 15 days for the applications that will be received primarily at the Duare Sarkar camps.

It was Banerjee's poll promise to initiate the minimum basic income scheme under which a woman member of an SC or ST family would get Rs 1,000 per month and one from other than SC or ST family would get Rs 500 per month in both urban and rural areas.

A woman, who is a resident of Bengal aged between 25 to 60 years, is eligible for 'Lakshmir Bhandar' scheme if she has Swasthya Sathi card.

In case, the applicant does not have a Swasthya Sathi card or Aadhaar card, she will be first provisionally registered under the 'Lakshmir Bhandar' scheme and will be facilitated to get the health insurance card or Aadhaar and then will be subsequently enrolled in the said scheme.

Multiple women members of a family of the age group may apply for the scheme. A woman, who receives widow pension, is also eligible for 'Lakshmir Bhandar'.

But a permanent or retired woman employee of any government, statutory body, government undertakings, Panchayats, municipal corporations, municipalities, local bodies, teaching and non-teaching employees of government aided educational institutions cannot be a part of the scheme as they receive regular salary or pension.

One has to provide self-attested photocopies of Swasthya Sathi card, Aadhaar card, SC/ST certificate (if needed), Aadhaar linked bank account details, coloured passport-size photographs along with self-declaration of being a resident of Bengal. The life status of the beneficiary will get verified online once a year from the Registrar of birth and death.

As the Paray Samadhan programme will also be simultaneously carried out, projects up to Rs 5 lakh would be sanctioned from the camp itself while projects above that would require the department's nod.