West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, during his visit to North Bengal on Monday, urged migrant workers to return to the state, announcing that they would be provided 125 days of employment annually after obtaining job cards.
"Now migrant workers should start returning to the state. Everyone should get a job card. We will provide 125 days of work every year," the Chief Minister said.
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Eligible Beneficiaries To Be Registered By August 30
Adhikari also shared a major update on the Annapurna Yojana, assuring that all eligible beneficiaries would have their names registered by August 30 and would receive the financial assistance.
The first phase of payments under the scheme was released in June, while many women received the benefit in their bank accounts in July. The Chief Minister assured that eligible applicants who are yet to receive the money will also get the benefit once the ongoing verification process is completed.
He said document verification is currently underway, and more eligible applicants are expected to receive the funds in August after their documents are verified and eligibility confirmed.
Ayushman Cards To Be Distributed On Ayushman Diwas
The Chief Minister also spoke about the Ayushman Card initiative, announcing that distribution of Ayushman Cards will begin on Ayushman Diwas.
Calling it an "Amrit Kaal of development", Adhikari said several industrial projects are being planned for North Bengal, including mango, pineapple and maize processing industries.
He also said the state has received Rs 330 crore under the Prime Minister Tea Workers' Scheme.
Earlier Announcement On Annapurna Yojana
On July 1, Adhikari had said that when the government first launched the programme, it had very little time for implementation.
He stated that on June 3, the government transferred Rs 3,000 each to more than 2.7 million beneficiaries. He added that around 16 million applications had to be scrutinised and uploaded to the portal before processing.
The Chief Minister had also clarified that all eligible applicants would receive the benefit. He said only Indian citizens are entitled to government welfare payments but added that refugees from Bangladesh who have applied under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) would continue receiving the social allowance until their applications are decided.
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Similarly, applicants whose cases are pending before tribunals will continue receiving the allowance until a tribunal declares them ineligible.
Many beneficiaries are now awaiting the next round of Annapurna Yojana payments expected in August.