The Bengal cabinet in its meeting on Monday approved a series of major welfare and administrative decisions, including the launch of the Annapurna scheme of Rs 3,000 monthly assistance to women from June 1, free travel for women in state-run buses and 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, state minister Agnimitra Paul said.
Asked whether the issue of pending dearness allowance dues 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."
Women to get Rs 3,000
Paul, who is the new women and child development and municipal affairs minister for Bengal, announced that the cabinet had given a nod to the Annapurna scheme of Rs 3,000 monthly assistance to women, which would be rolled out from June 1.
Women who applied for citizenship under the CAA and those who approached tribunals for inclusion in voter rolls following the SIR exercise would also be eligible for benefits under the Annapurna scheme, the cabinet announced.
Women already enrolled under the previous government’s Lakhsmir Bhandar scheme will automatically receive benefits under the new programme while the government will launch a separate portal for those yet to be covered.
It will not include the names of those whose names have been deleted after the SIR exercise.
Free travel for women in state-run buses
"The cabinet also approved a proposal to allow free travel for women in government-run buses from June 1," Paul said.
This would be rolled out on the first day of the next month.
7th state pay commission
The Bengal 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.
Religion-based aid scrapped
"The Bengal cabinet decided to discontinue government assistance to groups based on religious categorisation from June,” Paul said. “The government also scrapped the existing state OBC [Other Backward Classes] list as per the Calcutta High Court judgment and will set up an inquiry panel to decide quota eligibility.”
She said schemes being implemented under religious categorisation by the departments of information and cultural affairs and 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.
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 Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari directed officials to immediately resume garbage clearance work in cities and towns and ordered prompt repair of non-functional street lights across the state.
The government has also decided to hold a cabinet meeting every 15 days.