Didi: Yuba Sathi Scheme to Start From April 1 Instead of August 15

Kolkata: With an eye on votes in the upcoming Assembly Election in West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has pre-poned the roll out of the Yuba Sathi scheme by over four months for the unemployed youth in the state.

She announced on Tuesday that the Madhyamik-passed beneficiaries in the age group of 21-40 years would get the monthly aid of ₹1500/- from April instead of August 15 as declared in the vote on account presentation in the Assembly budget session last week.

Ms Banerjee said at the state secretariat Nabanna, “Since the financial year starts on April 1, we have decided to implement the Yuba Sathi scheme from that day. It's not going to be ‘April Fool’. There will be a review of the beneficiaries after getting the aid for years.”

She added, “We have decided to receive applications by opening a camp in each of 294 assembly constituencies. Each camp will have four sections: youth and sports for Yuba Sathi, agriculture, power and irrigation for landless farmers.”

The CM also informed that an amount of ₹1500-2000 which the farmers used to pay to the state power and irrigation departments for water supply connectivity to their land would be withdrawn to provide them a major relief.

She elaborated that the farmers can avail the waiver benefit by visiting the camps for application. “Altogether four representatives will be present at each camp in the model of Duare Sarkar.”

These camps will be run between 10 am-5 pm from February 15-26 excluding holidays. The process will be digitalised also. Ms Banerjee further pointed out that enhanced aid of Lakshmir Bhandar scheme has started rolling out.

Asked about the release of dearness allowance dues to the state government employees on the Supreme Court order, the CM however refused to comment saying, “The matter is sub-judice.”