Lakshmir Bhandar Prakalpa in West Bengal

Government of West Bengal
Women & Child Development and Social Welfare Department
Bikash Bhawan, 10th Block, North Block, Salt Lake, Kolkata – 700091

No. 3399-WCD/12099/5/2021 Date: 30.07.2021

Notification

The Governor is hereby pleased to introduce a scheme of the Government of West Bengal to provide the female members of all families of the state an assured monthly income to improve their financial condition and promote women empowerment.

This scheme may be known as “Lakshmir Bhandar”.

The scheme will be implemented throughout West Bengal.

1) Scheme Beneficiaries

a) “Lakshmir Bhandar” assures an income for women in all the rural and urban households in the State, which are enrolled under “Swasthyasathi”.

b) A household in this scheme means a household which is enrolled under “Swasthyasathi” and is also eligible as per eligibility criteria of this scheme.

c) In every such household, ALL female members will get the benefit, if

• She is a resident of the State
• She is aged between 25 – 60 years.
• She is not a government employee in permanent employment/ retired government employee of Central/ State Government, Statutory Bodies, Government Undertakings, Panchayats, Municipal Corporations/ Municipalities, Local Bodies, teaching and non teaching employees of Government aided Educational Institutions etc. receiving regular salary/ pension.

2) Financial Assistance provided under the Scheme

a) Financial assistance under the scheme will be credited by direct bank transfer to an AADHAR linked bank account held solely by the eligible adult female member/s of the household.

b) The scale of the financial benefit to be provided to eligible women is as follows:

• (1) Women from Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribes Households: Rs. 1,000/- per month
• (2) Women from households other than SC/ST households: Rs. 500/- per month.

3) Method of applying for the scheme

a) The Scheme’s application form will be available free-of-cost at the Duare Sarkar Camps.

b) All eligible applicants of a Swasthyasathi Household will submit the filled in, duly signed application form at the above mentioned Camps.

c) Self-attested copies of the following documents must be submitted along with the application form:-

• Swasthyasathi Card
• AADHAR card
• SC/ST certificate, if applicable
• Bank Account: Self-attested photo-copy of the page of bank book which provides details of the account holder’s name, account no., bank address, 1FS Code and M1CR No. The bank account should be a single bank account in name of the eligible adult female member only.
• Coloured passport size photograph of the applicant.
• Self-declaration duly signed by the applicant to the effect:
  • a. That she is a resident of West Bengal
  • b. That she does not earn any monthly remuneration/pension from any regular job of State Government, Statutory Bodies, Government Undertakings, Panchayats, Municipal Corporations/ Municipalities, Local Bodies. Government aided Educational Institutions etc.
  • c. Information furnished by her in the application form arc true

d) In case the applicant does not have Swasthyasathi/ AADHAR Card, she will be first provisionally registered under “Lakshmir Bhandar” and will be facilitated to get the Swasthyasathi Card and/or AADHAR card and will be subsequently enrolled in “Lakshmir Bhandar” Scheme.

4) Verification of the application

a) The applications so received at the Duare Sarkar camps will be duly enquired into as per Duare Sarkar modalities by government officials only authorized for the purpose.

b) After verification/ enquiry, the Block Development Officer in the rural area or the Sub-Divisional Officer in urban area, as the case may be, shall enter the applications on the Portal, verify and recommend the list of eligible applicants to the District Magistrate for sanction.

c) In case of the areas falling within the jurisdiction of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the same process will be completed by the Commissioner, Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

5) Sanction of applications:

a. The Commissioner, Kolkata Municipal Corporation shall be the sanctioning authority for applicants residing in areas under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

b. In all other cases, the District Magistrate will be the sanctioning authority.

7) Yearly verification of the Life status of the beneficiary of the scheme

Once a year, Life statue of the beneficiary will be obtained from the Registrar of Birth and Death through online system.

8) Stopping or withholding of financial assistance:

The Government may, after giving the beneficiary of the scheme an opportunity of being heard, stop or withhold financial assistance if:

• a) The financial assistance has been found to be sanctioned on mistaken grounds
• b) The eligibility condition for the granting of financial assistance no longer exists.

9) Fund management & e-Governance of the scheme

a. Necessary funds for the scheme for granting of benefit and management of the scheme shall be met out of the budget provision for the Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare, Government of West Bengal.

b. Financial benefit sanctioned under the scheme will be transferred monthly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts through the specified Portal.

This notification is issued with concurrence of Finance (Audit) Department vide Group ‘E’ U.O. No. 0008 Dated 21.07.2021 and Group ‘N’ U.O. No. 1084 dated 21.07.2021.

Secretary to the Government of West Bengal
Women & Child Development and Social Welfare Department

No. 3399-WCD dated 30.07.2021