Welfare Schemes

Suvendu Adhikari accuses TMC of 'ration scam', urges ED to launch probe

Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday targeted the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government, alleging scam in the ration distribution.Launching an attack in a post on X, he said that the multi-crore ration distribution "scam" is still going on in West Bengal despite the arrest of former Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick and his aides.He claimed that the rice meant to be distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS) is sent to privately owned rice mills and further polished to sell in the open market.He shared a video of a rice mill, which he alleged was polishing the rice meant to be distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS)."This video illustrates how the multi-crore Ration Distribution Scam is still going on in West Bengal despite the arrest of former Food & Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick and his aides," Adikari wrote in his X post."First of all, tonnes of rice meant to .

'BJP pressuring officers': Atishi after AAP's schemes called 'non-existent'

Delhi's women welfare and health departments issued public notices warning against registrations for the proposed 'Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana' and 'Sanjeevani Yojana'

Delhi polls: Kejriwal aids women, elderly in welfare schemes registration

Ahead of the assembly elections in Delhi, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Monday helped women and the elderly to register for the 'Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana' and the 'Sanjeevani Yojana,' respectively. The former chief minister had on Sunday said the beneficiaries didn't have to go anywhere. "Our volunteers will come to your homes and complete the registration process." In its budget for the 2024-25 fiscal, the Delhi government had announced a scheme to provide Rs 1,000 per month to all adult women. However, Kejriwal recently announced that the amount would be raised to Rs 2,100 if his party returned to power for a third consecutive term after the assembly elections, due in February. He had also announced a scheme to provide free treatment to people aged 60 and above. The AAP supremo helped the women and the elderly generate one-time passwords (OTPs) required to register and then handed over their 'Kejriwal Kavach' registration cards. Accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister At

Will ensure that schemes' benefits reach eligible individuals: CM Saini

The Haryana government is dedicated to ensuring that the benefits of welfare schemes directly reach eligible individuals at their doorstep, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Sunday. The government is committed to reaching out to every member of society, addressing their concerns and ensuring that no eligible person is left behind, he added. The chief minister was interacting with party workers at the residence of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana in Pehowa's Chanalheri village, according to an official statement. Saini said the state government had made concerted efforts to fulfil its commitment of delivering the benefits of welfare schemes directly to eligible individuals at their homes. He also expressed confidence that the government was effectively listening to the people's concerns and carrying out development work in line with their expectations. The government is dedicated to the welfare of the last person in the queue, following the spirit o

Registration for women, elderly welfare schemes to start tomorrow: Kejriwal

Earlier, Kejriwal on Saturday announced the Dr Ambedkar Scholarship for the higher education of Dalit students. He stated that under this scholarship scheme

States' freebies crowd out resources needed for development: RBI report

A Reserve Bank report on Thursday sounded a note of caution saying sops like farm loan waiver, free power and transport, by states could crowd out their critical resources for social and economic infrastructure. The RBI's 'State Finances: A Study of Budgets of 2024-25', however, said state governments have made commendable progress towards fiscal consolidation by containing their aggregate gross fiscal deficit within 3 per cent of GDP for three consecutive years (2021-22 to 2023-24), while restricting revenue deficit at 0.2 per cent of the GDP in 2022-23 and 2023-24. "This has allowed states to scale up their capital spending and improve the quality of expenditure," the report said. It further said several states have announced sops pertaining to farm loan waiver, free electricity to agriculture and households, free transport, allowances to unemployed youth and monetary assistance to women in their Budget for 2024-25. "Such spending could crowd out the resources available with them

Ahead of Delhi polls, Kejriwal announces free treatment for senior citizens

Ahead of the 2025 Delhi elections, Arvind Kejriwal announces free treatment for those aged 60 years and above under the Sanjeevani Yojana if AAP retains power

T'gana taking steps to provide quality food in welfare schools: CM Reddy

Accusing the previous BRS regime of 'failing' to take steps to provide basic facilities in state-run social welfare residential schools, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said his government has now increased allocation of funds by 40 per cent to improve the quality of food served to students. Speaking after launching a 'common diet plan' for all government residential schools and hostels in the state at Chilkur near here, he said the state government is moving ahead with the resolve that quality facilities should be provided in the welfare residential schools. He said 'diet charges' (allocation of funds for food) have not been enhanced in the last eight years. "The previous government did not think of increasing it. That means, the then government did not give importance to diet charges, cosmetic charges or provision of basic facilities. Because of that, the residential schools have lost their prestige," he said. The government has now increased the 'diet charge

Bengal giving central welfare scheme funds to 'undeserving' people: Chouhan

Declaring that the government would not allow the misuse of resources, Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday alleged that the West Bengal government was diverting central funds and making "undeserving" people beneficiaries of welfare schemes. As Lok Sabha proceedings began in the morning after six days of disruption, his junior Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani also spoke in the House and dismissed the suggestion that the government has reduced funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). He said the budget allocation for MGNREGS has been increased by Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore every year -- in comparison to the previous year -- and it has not been reduced at all. Chouhan strongly refuted Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee's allegation that Central funds of various welfare schemes had not been released to West Bengal. He said during Question Hour that the West Bengal government has made "undeserving" people ...

Rising sick days are costing European businesses billions every year

As companies struggle with chronic shortages, critics blame an overly generous welfare system, where spending on health-related benefits outranks other developed nations

Women should take benefits of schemes launched by Centre: Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday urged women to come forward and take benefits of central schemes to make them more capable and empowered. She was speaking at a credit outreach programme held in Madhubani, where loans to the tune of Rs 1,121 crore were provided to 50,294 beneficiaries by various banks. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji says there should be a Lakhpati Didi' in every village of the country and for this, banks have launched several schemes for providing financial assistance to women. Women are being given financial assistance and training through every Self Help Group (SHG) in Bihar. I urge women to become a part of the schemes launched by the central government... so that they can become more capable and empowered, Sitharaman said. She also said women would play an important role in achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047. Our PM believes that India's development should be led by women. The focus of the NDA government is clear The poor, wome

Benefits of Central schemes not reaching landless tribals: Prez Murmu

The President had told the NITI Aayog to pave the way for providing lands and also enhanced financial allocation to the tribals

4.75 cr screened for sickle cell anaemia, 0.38% diagnosed with it: Nadda

Under the NHM, financial support is provided to procure hydroxyurea, helping reduce out-of-pocket expenses for sickle cell anaemia patients

1.4 mn Ayushman cards created for citizens aged 70 yrs and above: Govt

Till November 25, approximately 14 lakh Ayushman Vay Vandana cards have been created for senior citizen beneficiaries aged 70 years and above under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the government informed Parliament on Friday. The estimated number of families with beneficiaries aged 70 years and above is 4.5 crore, which corresponds to the six crore individuals under the scheme, Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha. Till November 25, approximately 14 lakh Ayushman Vay Vandana cards have been created for senior citizen beneficiaries aged 70 years and above under the scheme, he added. Besides, around 35.89 crore Ayushman cards were created under the scheme as on October 31 since its launch in 2018, Jadhav said. Under AB-PMJAY, a three-tier grievance redressal system at the district, state and national levels has been created to resolve the issues faced by beneficiaries in utilising ...

Stalin rejects PM Vishwakarma, joins centre-state clash over welfare scheme

Data shows that the Centre is ready to lend a helping hand, irrespective of political differences between state and Centre, if a state is eager to take advantage of its schemes

Welfare politics in Indian states: Too much, too soon, with too little?

Are welfare state and its agents, the political parties, making such excessive promises, particularly in pre-election years, with undesirable consequences?

Shortly after Maharashtra win, Mahayuti mulls tweaks to Ladki Bahin scheme

Maharashtra is faced with a debt burden of Rs 7.82 trillion for FY25, exacerbated by other welfare measures, like electricity bill waiver for farmers and free gas cylinders for six million households

Ladli Bahan scheme not aimed at getting votes, says Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the "Ladli Bahan' scheme launched during his tenure as the Madhya Pradesh chief minister is aimed at empowering women and not at getting votes, as he launched the third edition of a national campaign against gender-based violence. Speaking at an event here to launch the third edition of "Nayi Chetna -- Pahal Badlaav Ki", a national campaign against gender-based violence, Chouhan talked about the women-centric schemes launched during his tenure as the Madhya Pradesh chief minister, including the direct-benefit-transfer scheme "Ladli Bahan", which was a game-changer that helped the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win another term in power in the state. Similar schemes launched in Maharashtra and Jharkhand recently were also a major factor behind the incumbent regimes retaining power in those states. Chouhan, however, said the scheme is not intended at getting votes. "The Ladli Bahan yojana was not brought to get votes. I ..

From Ladli Behna to Maiya Yojana: How women voters are shaping elections

Women voters, empowered by schemes like Ladli Behna and Maiya Yojana, are reshaping India's elections, turning welfare initiatives into game-changers in politics

Need to ensure fish farmers get benefits under govt schemes: Union Min

Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Thursday stressed the need to bring fish farmers into the organised sector to enable them to take benefit of various government schemes, besides tackling challenges of marine pollution and illegal fishing. Addressing an event on 'World Fisheries Day', the minister of fisheries, animal husbandry & dairying highlighted that India is the world's second-largest fish producer and expressed confidence that the country will soon become top producer globally. India's fish production has surged 82 per cent to 175.45 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 from 95.79 lakh tonnes in 2013-14. Singh credited the sharp rise in fish production to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's various measures in the last 10 years to boost growth in the fishery sector, including Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana and Fisheries and Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF). He said 3 crore people are directly involved in the fishery sector. Listing out the challenges faced by