Kolkata, 02 October (H.S.): Widespread protests broke out across West Bengal's Malda and Cooch Behar districts on Friday as aggrieved women took to the streets over the non-receipt of funds under the state's Annapurna Yojana. The unrest led to road blockades, the vandalism of a government 'Seva Setu' outreach camp, and temporary disruptions of administrative services, fueled further by alleged derogatory remarks made by a local official.

In Malda’s Harishchandrapur-1 block, the situation escalated after local women accused Block Development Officer (BDO) Dhrubashis Samanta of misbehavior. According to the protesters, when they approached the block office to submit their Annapurna Yojana forms, the BDO allegedly dismissed their efforts, stating that the applications were being accepted merely to please them and held no actual value. The alleged remarks triggered severe backlash, with local BJP leadership demanding a public apology from the official. The BJP leaders warned that if the BDO does not apologize, they will escalate the matter to the District Magistrate and the Chief Minister. The BDO, however, has firmly denied the allegations, completely dismissing them as baseless rumors.

Simultaneously, unrest spilled over into Malda’s Ratua-2 block, where agitated women reportedly vandalized a Seva Setu camp hosted at the Maharajnagar High Madrasa. The demonstrators, questioning why Annapurna Yojana-related tasks were not being processed at the facility, surrounded police vehicles that arrived to restore order. Malda Superintendent of Police Anupam Singh confirmed the incidents, stating, Protests took place in several areas, but no arrests or detentions were made. Police officials present at the Seva Setu camps spoke to the demonstrators, pacified them, and brought the situation under control.

Similar scenes of discontent were witnessed at Rabindra Bhavan in Cooch Behar town. A group of women disrupted services at a local government camp, alleging that the administration had failed to keep its promises. The protesters claimed that despite meeting all eligibility criteria and strictly following official instructions, they have been deprived of the scheme's financial assistance for the past four months. Their agitation led to a temporary halt in the delivery of services at the camp before the situation was stabilized.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh