Kolkata, 13 November (H.S.) : West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday transferred the second installment of Rs 60,000 to the bank accounts of 7,00,171 beneficiaries under the West Bengal Awas Yojana. With this, the beneficiaries have received a total of Rs 1.20 lakh across two installments. Acknowledging that constructing a house with this amount is extremely difficult due to the skyrocketing prices of building materials, the Chief Minister directed district magistrates to ensure that the price of sand does not exceed Rs 1,200 for those building homes under this scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Highlighting the inflated costs of construction materials like sand, iron rods, and cement, the Chief Minister announced a slew of additional relief measures. He stated that an extra financial assistance of Rs 30,000 will be provided to the beneficiaries. Furthermore, a separate allocation of Rs 12,000 will be given for the construction of toilets under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. He also instructed district magistrates and block development officers to integrate willing beneficiaries into the PM Surya Ghar Yojana. This solar energy scheme offers subsidies of Rs 30,000 for 100 units, Rs 60,000 for 200 units, and Rs 78,000 for 300 units. Additionally, the state government will provide an extra subsidy of Rs 15,000 to beneficiaries belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Taking a dig at the opposition, Adhikari remarked that a politically motivated misconception was deliberately spread among the public, claiming that beneficiaries would not receive their second installment if the BJP came to power in the state. He asserted that his government has proven this claim false by releasing funds to over seven lakh beneficiaries today. Maintaining complete transparency and weeding out fake applicants, the government has so far disbursed the second installment to a total of 17.20 lakh genuine beneficiaries.

It is noteworthy that during the tenure of the previous Trinamool Congress government, then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had launched the Banglar Bari project, accusing the central government of withholding funds. Following the change of government in the state, the BJP administration decided to carry the project forward under the new nomenclature of the West Bengal Awas Yojana.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh