KOLKATA: Marking a major policy shift, the West Bengal Cabinet on Monday decided to discontinue religion-based assistance to imams & others, roll out the ‘Annapurna’ financial support scheme for women and set up two panels to look into cases of corruption & crimes against women during the TMC rule.
The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, also approved the scrapping of the existing state OBC list and the constitution of the Seventh State Pay Commission to revise state employees’ salaries upward.
Announcing the state government’s decisions, Women, Child, and Social Welfare Minister Agnimitra Paul said all decisions will take effect starting June 1. “The Cabinet has approved the discontinuation of schemes based on religious categorisation. A notification on this will be issued,” Paul said. She, however, added that existing scholarship schemes for students would continue.
Paul said the government would cancel the existing OBC list of the state in accordance with a 2024 Calcutta HC judgment. The minister added that the state would set up a panel to decide quota eligibility under the OBC category.