The West Bengal cabinet on Monday approved the ‘Annapurna’ scheme, under which eligible women will receive a monthly assistance of Rs 3,000 from June 1, besides announcing free travel for women in state-run buses from next month.
Addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna, Minister Agnimitra Paul said the cabinet had decided to "discontinue government assistance to groups based on religious categorisation from June".
"The government also scrapped the existing state OBC list in accordance with the Calcutta High Court judgment and will set up a panel to decide quota eligibility," Paul said.
She said schemes being implemented under religious categorisation by the departments of Information and Cultural Affairs and the Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education would continue till the end of this month and would be stopped from June.
Notifications in this regard would be issued separately, she added.
Paul said women who applied for citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and those who approached tribunals for inclusion in voter rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise would also be eligible for benefits under the Annapurna scheme.
"The cabinet gave a nod to the 'Annapurna' scheme of Rs 3,000 monthly assistance to women from June 1. It also approved a proposal to allow free travel for women in government-run buses from next month," she said after the second meeting of the state council of ministers.
The BJP, during the recent assembly poll campaign, had pledged that its government would ensure free travel for women in state-run buses and offer a Rs 3,000 monthly scheme to them, as against the Rs 1,500 provided under the previous TMC government's 'Lakhsmir Bhandar' scheme.
Paul, the women and child development minister, said the government also approved the constitution of the 7th state pay commission for its employees, and staffers in allied statutory civic bodies, education boards and those working in state-run education institutions, she said.
Asked whether the issue of dearness allowance was taken up in the meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Paul said, “There was no discussion on DA today. Such discussions will be held later."
The minister said the government also decided to prioritise work on improving the drainage system and strengthening civic infrastructure ahead of the monsoon season.
She said the chief minister directed officials to immediately resume garbage clearance work in cities and towns, and ordered prompt repair of non-functional street lights across the state.
Paul said that the government decided to hold the cabinet meeting every 15 days.
(With inputs from PTI)
