Kolkata,July 1: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said the state government is working to implement "PM Modi's guarantees" as funds were transferred to women beneficiaries under the Annapurna Scheme through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Speaking to ANI, Adhikari said large-scale financial assistance had been disbursed to women across the state.
"The BJP government of West Bengal is working to fulfil PM Modi's guarantees. Today, Rs 3,000 has been transferred via DBT into the accounts of 1.10 crore women, and another Rs 20 lakh transfers are in process. We received a total of 1.6 crore applications; 26 lakh were rejected for not meeting the criteria, and we are transferring funds to the rest," he said.
Adhikari also spoke on the commencement of the VB-G RAM G (Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission) Act today, saying, "Not only the Annapurna Yojana, but from today, the VB-G RAM G Act has also commenced. In West Bengal, 2.56 crore people living in villages will get 125 days of work; the daily wage will be Rs 300 for unskilled labour, Rs 450 for semi-skilled, and Rs 600 for skilled work," he said.
He further said that the government would hold a detailed review meeting tomorrow to ensure the implementation of schemes.
"Tomorrow we are holding a meeting with all the ministers and HoDs in West Bengal. We will dedicate the entire day to discussing the implementation of our budget and all the schemes of the Central government. We will formulate a comprehensive roadmap tomorrow," he added.
Referring to the upcoming census exercise, Adhikari said preparations were underway across the state.
"From August 1, the census is starting in Bengal and across the entire country. Our preparations are in full swing. This time it is a digital census. It includes a caste-based census; everything will become clear," he said.
West Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul also welcomed the rollout of the Annapurna Scheme, calling it a major step for women's financial empowerment, while also highlighting the BJP's commitment to increasing benefits under the programme.
"It felt wonderful; it was a moment of great pride. Today, around 12,000 women arrived. Funds were transferred to the accounts of 1 crore 30 lakh women by the Chief Minister today. We certainly won't grant Annapurna Yojana benefits; we cannot use public funds for those who are not our citizens," she said.
Paul further suggested that the assistance provided under the scheme could be used for employment for women.
"The most important thing is to save from this amount and start a business. Instead of just demanding jobs from the government, we can provide employment to ten women ourselves. We could start a poultry farm; by pooling together Rs 3,000, we could launch a small-scale poultry venture, or perhaps teach sewing and buy a machine," she added.
Earlier in the day, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said the BJP's manifesto reflected the party's commitment to delivering on the promises it makes to the people and described the assurance on the Annapurna scheme as part of PM Modi's guarantee.
The Annapurna Yojana replaces the Lakshmi Bhandar Scheme of the TMC government, under which women from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes households received Rs 1,200 per month, and women from other categories got Rs 1,000.
Meanwhile, the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, or VB G RAM G Act, was passed in the Winter Session of Parliament in 2025 and replaced the 100-day employment guarantee with a 125-day guarantee. However, the Opposition has criticised the legislation for removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme and bringing in the 60:40 share of funds between the Centre and States.
