To implement poll promises, state govt forms task forces

KOLKATA: The state government on Monday has set up three separate task forces with the Chief Secretary as their head to implement the projects which have been promised by TMC in its election manifesto.

Some of the most important projects are Duare Ration, a minimum basic income scheme for women and students credit card scheme. The Cabinet on Monday has given its nod to go ahead with the projects and all steps are being taken for implementation of the same at the earliest. "We had announced the projects in our election manifesto. The Cabinet also gave its nod in view of the projects. Keeping our promises, we have set up task forces for their implementation. Chief Secretary is the head of all the three task forces," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said during a Press conference at Nabanna. TMC has formed the government for the third consecutive term by winning the 2021 Assembly polls with 213 seats. Soon after swearing-in as the Chief Minister for the third time on May 5, Banerjee said the projects would be implemented as soon as the Covid situation comes under control.

On Monday, she announced the setting up of the task forces in which there would also be members from respective departments. There will be members from the Food and Supplies department in the task force set up for implementation of the Duare Ration scheme. Similarly, task forces for minimum basic income schemes for women and students credit card schemes will be composed of officers from the Women and Child Development department and Education department respectively.

Duare Ration is the first-of-its-kind scheme in the country under which monthly ration will be delivered at the doorsteps of the beneficiaries in the state. According to the manifesto, it will be delivered at the doorstep of at least 1.5 crore families. This comes when the state government ensured distribution of free-of-cost ration to every resident of the state.

To make the students self-reliant, student credit cards will be introduced enabling the students to take Rs 10 lakh loan at 4 per cent interest for which the state government will be the guarantor. Under the minimum basic income scheme, women from general caste families will get Rs 500 per month. Women from SC or ST families will get Rs 1,000 per month. The money will be transferred directly to the woman head of the family.