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West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari
The BJP authorities successful West Bengal has, wrong days of assuming office, rolled retired a bid of high-impact administrative, payment and governance decisions aimed astatine signalling a argumentation interruption from the erstwhile Trinamool Congress regime.
The measures span payment restructuring, recruitment reforms, preservation argumentation changes, scrutiny of caste certificates, acquisition directives and anti-corruption action. The authorities has simultaneously attempted to fortify nationalist symbolism successful institutions portion tightening administrative oversight successful payment transportation and preservation systems. Many of the moves transportation some governmental and ineligible significance, particularly those linked to OBC reservation, caste certificate verification and investigations into alleged corruption nether their predecessor.
‘Chicken’s Neck’ corridor transferred to Centre
The West Bengal authorities approved the transportation of 7 cardinal nationalist highways successful the Siliguri Corridor, popularly known arsenic the ‘Chicken’s Neck’, to cardinal agencies, a determination aimed astatine strengthening connectivity and facilitating faster question of equipped forces done the strategically delicate agelong linking the Northeast to mainland India.
Ayushman Bharat to beryllium implemented
The recently formed BJP authorities successful West Bengal announced the implementation of the Centre’s flagship Ayushman Bharat wellness security strategy during its archetypal furniture gathering connected May 11.
Under Ayushman Bharat, eligible families person yearly wellness security sum of up to Rs 5 lakh for secondary and tertiary healthcare attraction astatine empanelled hospitals.West Bengal had antecedently stayed retired of the centrally sponsored strategy nether the Trinamool Congress government, which alternatively operated the Swasthya Sathi programme. The determination marks a important argumentation displacement by aligning the authorities with 1 of the Union government’s flagship payment schemes.
Along with Ayushman Bharat, the furniture besides discussed implementation of different cardinal schemes and administrative measures, including borderline fencing-related onshore transportation to the BSF and recruitment reforms.
Annapurna Yojna replaces Lakshmir Bhandar
The West Bengal authorities notified the Annapurna Yojna connected Wednesday, replacing the flagship Lakshmir Bhandar strategy introduced nether the erstwhile TMC government. Under the caller programme, eligible women aged betwixt 25 and 60 years volition person a monthly assistance of Rs 3,000 done Direct Benefit Transfer into Aadhaar-linked slope accounts. The strategy excludes imperishable authorities employees, pensioners and income taxation payers. Existing Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries volition automatically migrate to the caller scheme, though names identified arsenic dead, shifted, duplicate oregon deleted during elector verification exercises volition beryllium removed. The authorities has besides linked the strategy to electoral verification processes, making it politically significant. An online portal for caller applications is scheduled to unfastened from June 1, with territory magistrates and Kolkata civic authorities designated arsenic sanctioning bodies for applicants.
Vande Mataram made mandatory successful schools
The School Education Department directed each state-run and state-aided schools to mandatorily sing Vande Mataram during greeting assemblies done a connection issued connected May 13 and implemented from May 18 onward. School authorities were instructed to guarantee information by each students and support video documentation arsenic impervious of compliance.The determination adds the nationalist opus to the existing assembly practices wherever schools traditionally sang lone the nationalist anthem, Jana Gana Mana, and successful caller years, the authorities opus Banglar Mati Banglar Jol.
The determination carries beardown symbolic and ideological value arsenic the BJP authorities has framed it arsenic an effort to fortify patriotism and respect for nationalist symbols. However, the determination has besides generated statement among sections of teachers and civilian nine implicit implementation logistics and concerns astir compulsion successful acquisition institutions.
Land transportation for India-Bangladesh borderline fencing
The West Bengal authorities connected May 11 initiated the process of transferring onshore to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for the Border Security Force to implicit fencing on unfenced stretches of the India-Bangladesh border, the CM had announced earlier this month.Announcing the determination aft the archetypal furniture gathering of the caller government, CM Suvendu Adhikari said the required onshore would beryllium handed implicit wrong 45 days. The determination comes amid prolonged judicial scrutiny implicit delays successful borderline fencing projects successful the state. According to information placed earlier the Supreme Court by the Union government, astir 435 km of the borderline remains unfenced, with much than 286 km pending chiefly due to the fact that of onshore acquisition issues.
The Calcutta precocious tribunal had besides directed the authorities earlier this twelvemonth to expedite transportation of acquired onshore to the BSF.
OBC preservation revised for 66 communities
The authorities notified 66 communities nether the Other Backwards Classes category, restoring a 7 per cent preservation model pursuing a Calcutta High Court bid that had struck down earlier TMC-era OBC notifications. The decision, formally notified connected May 19 and implemented publically connected May 20, affects authorities jobs and acquisition admissions. The revised database includes communities specified arsenic Kurmi, Kapali, Teli, Yadav and respective Muslim groups including Hajjam (Muslim), Pahadia Muslim and Jolah (Ansari-Momin). The determination is important due to the fact that it rolls backmost the erstwhile 17 per cent preservation operation and aligns the authorities argumentation with the High Court’s directive that benefits already enjoyed by the affected groups should proceed without disruption.
Free autobus question for women
The authorities cabinet, connected on Monday approved escaped autobus question for women successful state-run transport services.
The determination is being projected arsenic a large women-centric payment measurement aimed astatine reducing regular commuting costs and expanding workforce participation. The strategy is expected to screen government-operated buses crossed municipality and agrarian routes. It was announced arsenic portion of the government’s archetypal large payment bundle aft assuming office.
Upper property bounds for authorities jobs increased
On May 18, the Finance Department formally accrued the precocious property bounds for recruitment to authorities authorities posts by 5 years, fulfilling 1 of the BJP’s large promises to occupation aspirants.
Under the revised rules, the precocious property bounds is present 41 years for Group A posts, 44 years for Group B posts and 45 years for Group C and D posts. For recruitments done statutory bodies, authorities companies and section authorities, the property bounds has been uniformly fixed astatine 45 years. Existing relaxations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and differently-abled candidates volition continue. The archetypal recruitment process expected to payment from the determination is the ongoing Assistant Professor recruitment successful government-aided colleges, for which the exertion deadline volition besides beryllium extended.
The determination is aimed astatine expanding employment opportunities for candidates who had antecedently crossed the property threshold during years of delayed recruitment and stalled examinations successful the state.
Free autobus question for women
The West Bengal furniture approved escaped autobus question for women successful state-run transport services connected Monday arsenic portion of a acceptable of aboriginal payment measures announced aft the caller authorities assumed office. The strategy volition use to government-operated buses crossed municipality and agrarian routes successful the state. According to officials, the inaugural is aimed astatine easing commuting costs for women who trust connected nationalist transport for work, acquisition and regular travel. The determination is expected to interaction a ample conception of regular commuters, peculiarly successful Kolkata and territory towns wherever authorities transport services signifier a large portion of nationalist mobility. The announcement came alongside different payment measures, including the rollout of the Annapurna Yojna.
Detailed operational guidelines and implementation modalities for the transport strategy are expected to beryllium issued by the Transport Department separately.
Prosecution sanctioned against Sandip Ghosh
The West Bengal authorities sanctioned the prosecution of erstwhile R G Kar Medical College and Hospital main Sandip Ghosh connected May 19 successful transportation with alleged fiscal irregularities linked to procurement and administrative practices during his tenure.
The authorisation was granted nether provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Prevention of Corruption Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act aft introspection of FIRs and probe records.
The lawsuit gained nationalist prominence pursuing the rape and execution of a doc astatine the infirmary successful 2024, which subsequently triggered wider investigations into alleged corruption wrong the institution. The CBI and Enforcement Directorate are probing the substance aft the Calcutta High Court ordered an inquiry.
Re-verification of caste certificates issued since 2011
The West Bengal authorities ordered a state-wide re-verification of each caste certificates issued since 2011, with the Backward Classes Welfare Department issuing directions to territory magistrates connected May 15. The workout covers astir 1.69 crore Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and OBC certificates, including those distributed done Duare Sarkar camps during the erstwhile TMC regime. The authorities has alleged large-scale irregularities and fraudulent issuance of certificates implicit the past 15 years, with ministers claiming that fake beneficiaries availed preservation and payment benefits illegally.
Officials person been instructed to scrutinise certificates and cancel those recovered to person been issued done mendacious accusation oregon procedural violations.
Scrapping religion-based assistance schemes
The caller authorities had besides announced that respective religion-specific payment and assistance schemes introduced during the TMC authorities would beryllium discontinued. Though details are inactive emerging, BJP leaders said the determination was aimed astatine ending what they described arsenic “appeasement politics” and shifting towards religion-neutral payment delivery. The determination is politically important due to the fact that it straight targets 1 of the BJP’s cardinal run themes successful Bengal.
