Kolkata, Aug 6 — Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday cautioned against strong action against those circulating misleading social media posts on the state government’s Annapurna Bhandar Yojana.
Addressing a press conference at the state secretariat Nabanna, Adhikari said there was no confusion about the scheme and assured that those spreading misinformation were being identified. He warned that legal action would follow.
“People are being misled. We are keeping an eye on them. The deserving ones will definitely get the money. None of those who are posting fake news voted for the BJP. The BJP will be in power in this state for the next 100 years,” Adhikari said.
The Chief Minister mentioned two persons, Noor Alam and Mehboob, alleging they were spreading wrong information about the scheme by using women to talk. He warned them against such activities.
Adhikari also referred to irregularities in the Lakshmir Bhandar project during the previous Mamata Banerjee government.
He said, “All these accounts are in our hands. We do not work like this. This is government money. We have taken applications online and offline from June to July 31. Offline applications are being uploaded on the portal. Verification is underway.”
He said verification of applications under the scheme was in progress and money would be sent to women’s accounts from August 17. However, only those who applied by July 10 and whose applications were error-free would receive the money immediately. Applicants after July 10 may face delays.
According to Adhikari, applications closed on July 31, with 2 crore 16 lakh submissions. Officials are verifying details and eligibility criteria.
He said, “We have accepted applications till July 31. The work of verifying each application is going on. It is almost in the final stage. On August 10 at 2 p.m., the Minister of the concerned department, Malati Rava Roy, will hold a press conference on this issue. Who will get it and who will not get it – I will tell you in detail there.”
He added that women who applied by July 10 would receive Rs 3,000 in their accounts on August 17, while those applying between July 11 and July 31 would have to wait until verification was complete.
He said the scheme would follow all financial rules and BJP’s resolution, with women aged between 25 and 60 eligible.