The Mamata Banerjee government’s Lakshmir Bhandar social welfare scheme was an instant success, with more than two million individuals applying for the benefit in the first few days.
In the general caste category, the Lakshmi Bhandar Scheme provides essential income support to female heads of families with a monthly grant of Rs 500. Women from the SC/ST categories would receive Rs 1,000 each month.
The Chief Minister had earlier stated that the scheme would help roughly 1.6 crore people when announcing it.
“The Government has started this plan on the assumption that a household’s average monthly consumption expenditure is Rs 5,249, and that the financial assistance offered via this scheme will be able to cover at least 10% to 20% of the monthly expenses. This will be quite beneficial.”
At the Duarey Sarkar (Government at Your Doorstep) camps, application forms were accepted. One of the most important reasons for the Chief Minister’s re-election in the April-May Assembly elections.
The government also distributes other schemes such as Kanyashrree, Swasthya Saathi, Rupashree, Krishak Bandhu, and others through these area-based camps. The camps began on August 16 and will last until September 15.
According to sources, 29,02,049 persons submitted applications in 18,500 camps in the first two days. According to accounts, the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme was the most popular.
The state of South 24 Parganas received the most applications. In the first two days, 4,71,887 applications for all the schemes were received from South 24 Parganas.
The programme is for unemployed women between the ages of 25 and 60 who are in their working years.
“The basic qualifying restrictions for this plan are that it is only open to households with no tax-paying members. You will not be eligible for this plan even if you have one income tax-paying member,”
Women in the general category who own more than 2 hectares of land are likewise ineligible to apply for this plan, in which the benefit amount is directly deposited into the beneficiary’s bank account.
Officials stated that women in permanent positions in the private and public sectors are not eligible for this scheme.
When asked about the benefit, Biva Mondal, a 50-year-old lady from Sonarpur, south of Kolkata, stated, “It is a nice scheme provided it gets to you on a regular basis as this Government lacks in honesty.”
“It has nothing to do with party politics,” Farzana, a political science postgraduate with three children, said. The government isn’t doing anyone any favours.
They’re just giving the money back to the taxpayer. This is a great programme, and I’ve applied for it.
Because my husband is a schoolteacher who does not pay taxes, I am qualified for this programme.
