1 week ago
BJP’s Bengal Government Faces Early Glitches After 100 Days
The Bharatiya Janata Party government in West Bengal completed its first 100 days on August 17.
It started a women’s welfare program called Annapurna Yojana.
Some women received payments while others in the same areas were still waiting, causing protests and criticism.
Some party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders said the government should have checked the beneficiary list more carefully before starting the program.
The government also created phone numbers for reporting extortion, illegal tolls, syndicates, and illicit liquor trading.
Officials and more than 100 party leaders have faced action over corruption complaints, although problems remain.
The government received praise from its supporters for border security and plans to attract industry.
Disputes among allied labour and student groups have also embarrassed the government.
The Suvendu Adhikari-led Bharatiya Janata Party government completed 100 days in West Bengal on August 17.
Annapurna Yojana faced payment and beneficiary-verification problems, prompting criticism from BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders.
The government highlighted anti-corruption complaint lines, action against more than 100 leaders, and arrests by the Anti-Corruption Branch.
BJP and RSS leaders praised border-security measures, including land transfers to the Border Security Force and efforts to detect infiltrators.
Industrialisation was made a priority, while factional disputes involving the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad created internal difficulties.
- Who
- The Suvendu Adhikari-led Bharatiya Janata Party government, reviewed by BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders.
- What
- The government’s performance during its first 100 days was assessed across welfare, corruption, security, industry, and internal party affairs.
- Where
- West Bengal, including areas such as Haldia, Calcutta, and Jadavpur University.
- When
- The 100-day milestone was reached on August 17.
- Why
- The review examined the government’s early achievements and the problems affecting implementation of its schemes and policies.
Government and Supporters
Internal Critics and Opposition
Annapurna Yojana rollout
Government and Supporters
BJP leaders said the Trinamool Congress was encouraging women’s protests and pointed to claimed payment figures showing Annapurna Yojana reaching more women than Lakshmir Bhandar did during the comparable 2021 period.
Internal Critics and Opposition
Some BJP and RSS leaders said the government should have delayed the rollout, reviewed beneficiaries, or waited for a census because uneven payments and verification problems triggered agitation.
Cause of administrative problems
Government and Supporters
RSS and BJP supporters attributed delays and corruption partly to a work culture and administrative system they said had been inherited from the previous Trinamool Congress government.
Internal Critics and Opposition
The report also noted that BJP grassroots leaders and former Trinamool Congress members who joined the BJP were accused of continuing similar extortion practices, suggesting the new government had not eliminated the problem.
Universal women’s benefits
Government and Supporters
The BJP had campaigned by saying all Lakshmir Bhandar recipients would receive double the amount under Annapurna Yojana.
Internal Critics and Opposition
Some RSS leaders argued that free bus services should not have been opened to all women because they considered the policy financially unsustainable for a cash-strapped state.
Key facts
- Chief minister
- Suvendu Adhikari
- 100-day milestone
- August 17
- Women’s scheme
- Annapurna Yojana promised ₹3,000 monthly transfers to beneficiaries.
- Reported payments
- State tourism minister Shankar Ghosh said payments reached 28 lakh women in June, 1.19 crore in July, and 1.45 crore in August.
- Anti-corruption action
- The government issued four toll-free complaint numbers and took action against more than 100 leaders, according to the report.
- Border policy
- The government began handing land to the Border Security Force and pursuing the detection and deportation of infiltrators.
- Industrial priority
- Industrial development was identified as one of the government’s most important priorities.
Quotes
An RSS leader in Calcutta
An RSS leader describing administrative problems with Annapurna Yojana
“We observed how women had queued up at different block offices and how the officials assigned to receive their forms or check their documents were working slowly. So, while an official could have completed the task for 200 women a day, they are doing it only for 20. It is because the new government is facing glitches with Annapurna Yojana”
telegraphindia.com
“After witnessing a series of agitations in different places, I think it would have been better if the government went slow with the project. It could have announced that the funds would be transferred after six months or before Durga Puja. That would have given it time to review the beneficiaries”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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