The West Bengal government has rejected nearly 26 lakh applications under its newly launched Annapurna Scheme following verification through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
About 1.6 crore applications were received by the state, of which more than 1.3 crore were deemed eligible whereas the rest were disqualified due to incompatible applications.
Addressing an administrative programme, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the applications rejected were that of people, not fit for the norms of the scheme.
The state budget allocates ₹36,000 crore for Annapurna Scheme in the current financial year, which has superseded Lakshmi Bhandar Scheme. The Government also electronically credited cash benefits to the bank accounts of over 10 lakh beneficiaries during the event.
The government says a survey carried out in the name of the previous Lakshmi Bhandar Scheme found nearly 27 lakh ineligible beneficiaries, ranging from non-citizens to those who have been declared dead to those who have been delisted from electoral lists to those who had shifted to other states or beneficiaries who were receiving assistance from other accounts.
The government said that government welfare schemes will be available to only Indian citizens.