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Several programmes to be held in West Bengal to mark PM’s birthday: Adhikari
Kolkata, Sept 15 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said the BJP government will organise several programmes across the state to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on September 17, and transfer Rs 3,000 each to nearly 1.58 crore women under the Annapurna Yojana.
Addressing a press conference here along with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Adhikari said ‘Annapurna Divas’ would be observed across West Bengal on the prime minister’s birthday.
“Nearly 1.58 crore women will benefit from the Annapurna Yojana this time by way of direct cash transfer of Rs 3,000 to each of them for the month of September,” he said.
The number of beneficiaries under the scheme has increased by around 10 lakh since August, when about 1.48 crore women received the benefit, he added.
The chief minister said the PM Vishwakarma Yojana would also be launched in West Bengal on Thursday, claiming that the scheme’s introduction had earlier been blocked by the erstwhile Trinamool Congress government.
The PM Vishwakarma scheme, launched by the Centre in 2023, seeks to provide end-to-end support to artisans and craftspeople.
Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi will attend the launch programme at the Dhana Dhanya Auditorium in Kolkata, Adhikari said.
The chief minister said he would attend a programme to light 1 lakh ‘diyas’ on the banks of the Hooghly in Kolkata.
He said the eastern leg of the Rashtriya Innovation Challenge will also be held in Kolkata, with Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Assam joining West Bengal in the programme.
The dates will be announced later, he added.
The chief minister had earlier said government and heritage buildings, including Nabanna, Victoria Memorial and Writers’ Buildings, as well as places of faith such as the Kalighat temple, would be illuminated with ‘diyas’ to mark Modi’s birthday.
Students from more than 80,000 schools across West Bengal will participate in drawing, elocution, debate and quiz competitions under the ‘Bacchon Ke Sapnon Ka Bharat’ programme, he said.
The programme will provide students an opportunity to express their thoughts and aspirations about what a developed India should look like by 2047, he said.
The CM said the celebrations will also highlight benefits received by people under various welfare initiatives, including PM Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat and PM Surya Ghar.
Cycle and motorcycle rallies and ‘padyatras’ will also be organised across the state as part of the celebrations. PTI AMR SOM
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.