Suvendu government implemented 7th Pay Commission and free bus service!

The West Bengal Cabinet, in its second meeting held on Monday, has approved the proposal to implement the Seventh Pay Commission for state government employees. In the press conference held after the cabinet meeting, State Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department Minister Agnimitra Paul said that implementation of the 7th Pay Commission was a long-standing demand of the state employees and it has been approved in the cabinet.

He informed that the Cabinet has also approved the “Annapurna Bhandar” project in the state, under which women will be given financial assistance of Rs 3,000 per month. This scheme was included in the manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the recently concluded assembly elections.

He said that the names of women already availing the benefits of “Lakshmi Bhandar” scheme will be automatically linked to the new “Annapurna Bhandar” scheme and the amount will be directly transferred to their bank accounts. Women who were not availing the benefits of any scheme till now will be able to apply through the new portal, which will be launched soon.

The minister said that the cabinet has also decided to implement free travel facility for women in all government buses of the state from June 1. However, no decision has been taken yet on increasing the number of buses and the existing government bus infrastructure will be used. The full budget of the state will be presented in June. The Chief Minister also said in the meeting that some new electric buses will be added to the state transport system.

Apart from this, the Cabinet also decided that all the support schemes given on religious basis under the departments of Information and Cultural Affairs and Minority Affairs and Madrassa Education will be discontinued from next month. All such scholarship programs will continue only till this month and will be stopped from June 1.