Kolkata: Signalling a sharp policy shift, the West Bengal cabinet on Monday decided to discontinue religion-based assistance to imams and others, roll out the ‘Annapurna’ financial support scheme for women and set up two panels to look into cases of corruption and crimes against women during the TMC rule.
The cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, also approved free travel for women on government-run buses, 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.
Later, Adhikari announced the formation of two commissions headed by retired judges of the Calcutta High Court to probe alleged institutional corruption and atrocities against women and girl children during the previous TMC regime. The chief minister said the panels would also begin functioning 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 none of the existing scholarship schemes for students would be discontinued.
Following a Rs 500 hike in honorarium for religious leaders by the erstwhile Mamata Banerjee government in March this year, Imams of registered mosques in Bengal were granted a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000, while muezzins and purohits were provided Rs 2,000.
According to a notification from the previous TMC-led government, the assistance to religious leaders – sanctioned under budgetary provisions of the Departments of Information and Cultural Affairs, and Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education – aimed to support their socio-economic standing.
Acting on the BJP’s pre-poll promises of enhanced financial assistance for Bengal’s women, the cabinet approved the ‘Annapurna’ scheme, which provides Rs 3,000 in monthly support. This scheme will replace the Mamata Banerjee government’s existing Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, which offers Rs 1,500 in monetary assistance to women.
Paul said the cabinet approved a proposal allowing free travel for women on government-run buses starting June 1, but added there were no immediate plans to increase the fleet size.
Later, while announcing the twin panels, Adhikari said, “We took these decisions in the cabinet today. During the election period, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had declared a chargesheet against the previous state government. There were two commitments made in the larger public interest of the people of the state.”
Adhikari said that the panel to probe institutional corruption will be headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Biswajit Basu, with an ADG-rank IPS officer, Jayraman, as member secretary. He said the panel would examine alleged irregularities in central and state welfare schemes, public construction works and service delivery systems.
