West Bengal Government Introduces Free Travel in Buses for Women, Rs 3,000 Monthly Support, Scraps Assistances to Imamas, Priests
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 18: The new BJP government in West Bengal on Monday made a series of announcements, including some to fulfil the promises made in the party’s Assembly elections manifesto, while scrapping the government assistance to the groups based on religious categorisation and issuing a stern warning against hooliganism and “zero tolerance” against vandalism.
Among the major welfare schemes taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister Suvendu Adhikari earlier on the day was monthly financial support of Rs 3,000 to women under the “Annapurna Scheme” as announced in the BJP election manifesto, and free travel in the government buses for women. Both the decisions would be implemented from June 1.
In a major political development, the government also announced that the state cabinet has approved the formation of two inquiry panels headed by former High Court judges to investigate allegations of institutional corruption and the alleged torture of women under erstwhile Trinamool Congress (TMC) rule.
Mr Adhikari said the first panel would examine claims of financial irregularities and alleged ‘cut money’ practices in Mamata’s government. Retired Justice Biswajit Basu has been appointed to lead the committee, while senior IPS officer Jayaraman will serve as its member-secretary.
A second committee has also been formed to look into cases of atrocities against women and girl children across the state. This panel will be headed by retired judge Samapti Chatterjee. Senior IPS officer Damayanti Sen has been named the member-secretary of the committee. According to the Chief Minister, both panels were expected to begin their work from June 1.
Announcing the decisions of the cabinet, minister Agnimitra Paul said the government has also approved the formation of the Seventh State Pay Commission for its employees, associated statutory bodies and educational institutions.
She said government has also decided to discontinue financial support offered to groups based on religious classification from June. Paul further stated that those who have applied for citizenship under the CAA and members of tribunals formed for inclusion in the voter list will be eligible to receive benefits under the Annapurna Scheme.
“The Bengal cabinet decided to discontinue government assistance to groups based on religious categorisation from June. The government also scraped the existing state OBC list as per the Calcutta High Court judgment and will set up an inquiry panel to decide quota eligibility,” Paul added.
Schemes being implemented under religious categorisation by the departments of Information and Cultural Affairs and Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education will continue till the end of this month. These will be stopped from June. Notifications in this regard would be issued separately, Paul added.
The decision to discontinue these schemes represented a major policy reversal. The state government maintains that welfare programmes should not be based on religious identity. The previous Trinamool government had announced monthly honorarium for imams, muezzins, and temple priests a year after it came to power in the state.
Ms Paul informed that the state government would now move forward on OBC-related matters strictly in line with the High Court decision. She also announced that new electric buses would be introduced for the general public in West Bengal. The government has decided that a cabinet meeting would be held every 15 days.
Meanwhile, a day after stones were hurled at security forces during a bulldozer operation in Kolkata’s Tiljala area, Mr Adhikari on Monday issued a stern warning, saying strict action would be taken and that his government maintains a “zero tolerance” stance on vandalism.
Adhikari also made it clear that the government would not hesitate to act firmly against anyone found attacking police personnel or damaging public property. “The police will now act strictly in accordance with the law; they are the law enforcement agency. Gone are the days when police personnel would get injured while the Police Minister merely sat in an air-conditioned room, watching the things unfold—forget those days now. From this point forward, hooliganism will be eradicated from Bengal. The message must reach everyone that this government is here to take action,” CM Adhikari said while talking to the media during his visit to the site where violence occurred on Sunday.
As many as six police personnel and two jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were injured in the violence, said the chief minister, while adding that 40 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Adhikari also stated that he has requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to allow 40 companies of paramilitary forces in West Bengal to remain deployed in the state until alternative arrangements can be made. He also requested people to help the police and the government help in maintaining law and order in the state. “Engaging in stone-pelting or vitiating the atmosphere by misusing religious slogans — none of this will be tolerated in Bengal under any circumstances,” he warned.
Adhikari’s warning comes a day after protests during a demolition drive turned violent in Tiljala, which is a minority-dominated area in Park Circus. The demolition drive was being carried out against illegal constructions after a fire at a factory that claimed two lives.
However, the locals there staged a protest and blocked the road, stopping the police from carrying out the drive. Later, they also pelted stones and damaged some vehicles parked alongside the road. The situation, though, was brought under control soon, but heavy presence of forces remain deployed in the area.
