No eligible women in Bengal will be deprived of Annapurna Yojana: PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the West Bengal government aims to ensure that not a single eligible woman is deprived of the benefits of Annapurna Yojana and is working relentlessly toward achieving this goal.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, addressing a programme in Salt Lake near Kolkata, said PM Modi's birthday on September 17 will be celebrated as 'Annapurna Divas' in the state every year, as the Rs 3,000 monthly assistance scheme for women was guaranteed by him.

Modi highlights direct financial assistance

Virtually addressing the 'Annapurna Divas' event organised by the state government, the Prime Minister said that solving every problem connected to the life cycle of mothers, sisters and daughters has been the priority of the BJP government.

“Within a few days of forming our government in Bengal, work began on the Annapurna Yojana. Today, many women receive financial assistance directly into their bank accounts.

“There are no middlemen and no 'cut money'. Our government aims to ensure that not a single eligible woman is deprived of the benefits of Annapurna Yojana. We are working relentlessly towards achieving this goal,” Modi said.

He added that work is also being done rapidly for this purpose.

The Prime Minister said that under the scheme, a fixed amount of Rs 3,000 is deposited into the bank accounts of women in Bengal every month, an amount for which they will not have to depend on anyone.

“This is a significant support for them. Today, the fourth instalment of the Annapurna Yojana is reaching the accounts of approximately 1.5 crore sisters, providing Rs 3,000 per month,” Modi said, adding, "We believe that the women of Bengal should have both the power to make decisions and the courage to move forward”.

The PM also said that a new empowerment has been added for the mothers and sisters of Bengal through the Annapurna scheme.

“I congratulate every mother and sister who will benefit from this scheme and extend my best wishes to them. In a family, many responsibilities rest on the shoulders of our mothers and sisters. Amid numerous small and big decisions, a woman takes care of the family in every way, and when the worry of essential expenses is reduced for them, their confidence grows even more,” Modi said.

The Annapurna scheme is an important effort to strengthen the confidence of Bengal's women, he added.

Suvendu Adhikari announces annual Annapurna Divas

Addressing the programme, CM Adhikari said, "Every year, September 17 will be celebrated as 'Annapurna Divas' because the Annapurna Yojana was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee. We have already implemented it for a large section of women."

The chief minister said the cash benefit has been transferred to the accounts of most of the 1.58 crore Annapurna Yojana beneficiaries for the September instalment, and the rest will be done by the end of the day.

Adhikari said PM Modi has announced that a list of 50 lakh beneficiaries under the PM Awaas Yojana in the state is being prepared.

"PM Modi has announced the preparation of a list of 50 lakh beneficiaries in Bengal under PM Awaas Yojana. All new houses under the programme will be owned by women," the CM said.

Women sports personalities, including Poulami Ghatak, Indu Puri and Jyotirmoyee Sikdar, inaugurated the programme to celebrate the Annapurna Divas.

CM raises concerns over women's safety and teenage marriage

"In the last four months, we have set up a commission headed by Justice Samapti Chatterjee (retired) to inquire into atrocities on women in the state," the chief minister said.

Adhikari asserted that the BJP government is committed to ensuring that no woman in the state is subjected to atrocities.

He called upon the state's women to come forward to create an addiction-free Bengal.

Pointing out that West Bengal is in a precarious position in teenage marriages and teenage pregnancy, the chief minister said Murshidabad and South 24 Parganas districts are leading on these counts.

"I assure that during this government's tenure, no girl under the age of 18 years will be allowed to be married. Those who have done so and those who assisted such marriages will be punished as per law," Adhikari said.