1 week ago
West Bengal Announces Annapurna Diwas Amid Scheme Benefit Protests
West Bengal’s government announced a special day called Annapurna Diwas for September 17.
That date is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.
The Annapurna scheme gives eligible people Rs 3,000 every month.
The chief minister said more people received payments in June, July, and August.
He said some early payments were delayed because officials had to collect beneficiary information.
Women have protested because some say they did not receive the promised benefits.
Suvendu Adhikari said the protests were organized for political reasons.
The Trinamool Congress presented a different view and connected one woman’s alleged suicide to the rejection of her application.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that West Bengal will observe Annapurna Diwas on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, September 17.
Adhikari said he would lead a rally of one lakh Annapurna scheme beneficiaries in Kolkata.
The scheme provides beneficiaries with Rs 3,000 monthly, with claimed recipients rising from 28 lakh in June to 1.45 crore in August.
Adhikari attributed early payment delays to logistical difficulties in compiling beneficiary details.
He dismissed protests as politically orchestrated and criticized the Trinamool Congress, while the party highlighted the alleged suicide of a woman whose application was reportedly rejected.
- Who
- West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, the state government, protesting women, and the Trinamool Congress.
- What
- The government announced Annapurna Diwas and defended the Annapurna scheme amid protests over alleged non-receipt or rejection of benefits.
- Where
- West Bengal, including Kolkata and Adhikari’s Bhabanipur assembly segment.
- When
- Annapurna Diwas is planned for September 17; the announcement was reported on August 22.
- Why
- The observance is intended to highlight the scheme and the government’s claimed achievements, while the protests concern delayed, rejected, or missing benefits.
Government’s Position
Critics’ Concerns
Nature of the protests
Government’s Position
Suvendu Adhikari said the protests were politically orchestrated by the opposition and amplified by the press, and that he would not bow to the pressure.
Critics’ Concerns
Women protested over not receiving Annapurna benefits, while the Trinamool Congress highlighted the alleged suicide of a woman and linked it to rejection of her application.
Scheme implementation
Government’s Position
Adhikari said beneficiary numbers increased substantially from June through August and blamed early delays on the process of compiling beneficiary details.
Critics’ Concerns
The protests and the Trinamool Congress’s statement raised concerns about rejected or unavailable benefits, although the report does not provide an independent explanation of individual cases.
Record of previous government
Government’s Position
Adhikari accused Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress of damaging West Bengal, driving industry away, selling government jobs, and politicizing recruitment.
Critics’ Concerns
The report presents these as Adhikari’s allegations and does not include a response from Mamata Banerjee or the Trinamool Congress to those broader claims.
Key facts
- Scheme benefit
- Beneficiaries receive Rs 3,000 per month under the Annapurna scheme.
- Reported beneficiaries
- Adhikari said 28 lakh people received funds in June, 1.19 crore in July, and 1.45 crore in August.
- Planned event
- Adhikari announced a rally of one lakh scheme beneficiaries in Kolkata on September 17.
- Bhabanipur beneficiaries
- Adhikari said 17,000 women in the Bhabanipur assembly segment had benefited.
- Government explanation
- Adhikari attributed initial payment delays to logistical challenges in compiling beneficiary details.
- Political criticism
- Adhikari accused the previous Trinamool Congress government of political exclusion, industrial decline, and politicizing recruitment.
Quotes
Suvendu Adhikari
West Bengal Chief Minister and speaker at a programme on the Annapurna scheme
“They can make reels for shock value and stage media trials by bringing out 20 people onto the streets, but such tactics will not work.”
theprint.in
“I will not bow my head before a few dozen people lecturing in front of television cameras.”
theprint.in
Sources
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