Bengal Govt Rolls Out ₹3,000 Aid for Women, ₹5 Fish Meals, Free Bus Travel from June 1
Application forms for the scheme will be distributed from May 27
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday announced a series of major welfare measures and administrative reforms, aiming to fast-track key promises made during the Assembly elections.
Addressing a public gathering after a district administrative coordination meeting in Kalyani, the Chief Minister unveiled the launch of the ambitious Annapurna Bhandar Yojana. Under the scheme, eligible women across the state will receive a monthly direct cash transfer of ₹3,000.
Application forms for the scheme will be distributed from May 27, while the first installment will be credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) on June 1. The new scheme replaces the previous government’s Lakshmir Bhandar initiative.
In another major announcement focused on women’s welfare, Adhikari said women will be allowed to travel free of cost in government-run buses across the state starting June 1.
The Chief Minister also sought to counter election-time allegations surrounding food culture in Bengal. He announced that subsidized government canteens will now serve traditional maach-bhaat (fish and rice) for just ₹5.
During the Assembly election campaign, leaders of the All India Trinamool Congress had accused the BJP of planning to impose food restrictions and ban staples such as fish, meat, and eggs if voted to power.
To address those concerns, the state government has decided to expand its network of 400 subsidized canteens. Along with rice, vegetables, and boiled eggs, fish will now be served twice a week at the same ₹5 price.
On the law-and-order front, Adhikari announced fresh restrictions on liquor outlets. Under the new policy, liquor shops will not be allowed within a one-kilometre radius of schools, colleges, temples, and other places of worship.
Highlighting the pace of policy decisions taken within the first few weeks of the new administration, the Chief Minister said district outreach meetings are aimed at strengthening governance and ensuring smooth implementation of manifesto promises at the grassroots level.
“A new system has been introduced where it is not the rule of the ruler, but the rule of law,” Adhikari said while addressing reporters.
