'Lakshmir Bhandar' rolls out from Sept 1; Duare Sarkar from Aug 16

Kolkata: With the biggest outreach drive "Duare Sarkar" of Mamata Banerjee government to help people get benefits at their doorstep to take place for a month from August 16, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that direct transfer of benefit in the accounts of the beneficiaries of Lakshmir Bhandar scheme will initiate from September 1 that is before the Durga Puja.

Banerjee had promised of initiating the minimum basic income scheme – Lakshmir Bhandar – under which a woman member of a general caste family would get Rs 500 per month that is Rs 6000 per annum and one from an SC or ST family would get Rs 1000 per month, that is Rs 12,000 annually.

After the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Banerjee stated that the beneficiaries would start getting the same from September 1. Though the list of beneficiaries will be prepared as per the data of the Swasthya Sathi scheme, she has urged the women to drop an application for the same at the Duare Sarkar camps.

The Duare Sarkar camps, which she had announced earlier of holding twice every year, would continue from August 16 to September 15 this time. People can apply for a set of state-run schemes including Student Credit Card, Khadyasathi, Swasthyasathi, Krishak Bandhu, caste certificate, Taposili Bandhu, Jai Johar, Manobik, MGNREGA and Lakshmir Bhandar scheme through Duare Sarkar camps.

Lakhs of people were benefited when the Duare Sarkar programme was introduced for the first time in the beginning of this year.

The Mamata Banerjee government has already increased the benefits of Krishak Bandhu scheme to Rs 10,000 per annum and also introduced the Students Credit Card scheme as per the assurances given before.

Meanwhile, as per reports, a survey report by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's Pratichi (India) Trust has lauded the Mamata Banerjee government's initiative in addressing grievances received by the government.

The report appreciated grievance redressal initiatives like Didi Ke Bolo (Tell Didi) and Duare Sarkar (Government At Doorstep) programme.

As per reports, Duare Sarkar had helped the government to address at least 95 per cent of all reported grievances.

Earlier, the state government had proposed a budget of around Rs 18,650 crore for expenditure in the social sector with a prime focus on schemes like Lakshmir Bhandar,

Student Credit Card, Swasthya Sathi, new Krishak Bandhu scheme and Duare Ration.