Social welfare schemes: World Bank lauds Bengal

KOLKATA: The World Bank lauded Bengal for the social welfare schemes undertaken by the state government.

In the letter sent to the state government, World Bank officials maintained that the schemes like Kanyashree, Yuvashree, Lakshmir Bhandar, students' credit card started by the state government have greatly benefitted the rural population and has helped improve the livelihood of the people at large.

Presently around 30 schemes are operational in Bengal and the state government has plans to increase more such schemes.

Sources in the state government said that after the schemes were launched in Bengal it was found that the beneficiary list increased from 8 per cent to 9 per cent.

A senior official of the state government said: "After analyzing the schemes, the World Bank has allotted a Rs 1,000 crore loan to the state government for the social welfare schemes ."

Senior officials of the state government said that they are planning to make templates and paste it in various localities just to make people aware that the World Bank has acknowledged the government's social welfare schemes.