Now Reading: West Bengal sets income cap for Annapurna Rs 3,000 scheme
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West Bengal sets income cap for Annapurna Rs 3,000 scheme
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday announced eligibility criteria for the state's Annapurna scheme, which gives women aged 25 to 60 monthly assistance of Rs 3,000. Women earning more than…
The Story in Brief
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday announced eligibility criteria for the state's Annapurna scheme, which gives women aged 25 to 60 monthly assistance of Rs 3,000. Women earning more than Rs 10,000 a month or belonging to families with an annual income above Rs 12 lakh are not eligible. Those receiving other allowances such as disability aid or PM-Kisan can still apply if they meet other conditions.
Rural women owning more than three rooms or 50 decimals of land will not be disqualified. Widows aged 25 to 60 are eligible unless they already receive another social security benefit. Adhikari said 28 lakh women got payments in June, rising to 1.19 crore in July. Payments begin from August 17 and will be transferred directly to bank accounts district-wise, the CM said.
The Indian Opinion
Switching from a nine-month verification to a direct-transfer model is welcome, but the sudden doubling of beneficiaries from 28 lakh to 1.19 crore in a month raises obvious questions about how many of those newly listed women have actually been screened. If the Finance department pays district-wise from August 17, the real test will be whether the money reaches the poorest or gets stuck in the usual political patronage cycle. Who audits the list?
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
