New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday assured that welfare schemes introduced under the previous Trinamool Congress government, including the flagship Lakshmir Bhandar programme, would continue under the newly elected BJP administration.
Addressing reporters after his first cabinet meeting, Adhikari stated that all ongoing beneficiary schemes in the state would remain operational, signalling that the new government would not discontinue welfare measures despite the political transition.
Lakshmir Bhandar, launched in 2021 under the Mamata Banerjee government, provides monthly financial assistance to women from economically weaker sections. Under the scheme, women from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities receive up to Rs 1,200 per month, while beneficiaries from other categories receive Rs 1,000. The programme was widely viewed as one of the Trinamool Congress government’s most influential welfare initiatives.
The newly formed BJP government also announced several major policy decisions during the cabinet meeting. Among them was the approval to transfer land required for border fencing to the Border Security Force along the India Bangladesh border. The state government said the handover process would be completed within 45 days to strengthen border security and curb illegal infiltration.
Another key announcement was the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme in West Bengal. The move marks a significant shift from the previous administration’s position, which had resisted the rollout of several centrally sponsored schemes carrying the Prime Minister’s name.
The government further announced plans to implement the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and related new criminal laws in the state, reversing the earlier opposition expressed by the previous regime.
The BJP formed the government in West Bengal for the first time after securing a sweeping victory in the Assembly elections. The party won 207 seats in the 294 member Assembly, ending the Trinamool Congress’ long dominance in the state.
Suvendu Adhikari, once a senior Trinamool leader himself, played a central role in the BJP’s campaign and defeated Mamata Banerjee in the high profile Bhabanipur constituency.
