The Bengal government has about 25 social welfare schemes for the benefit of people of various categories. The launch of the Duare Sarkar programme has brought into focus a slew of welfare schemes that largely stay unknown to people. These schemes below are not part of the 11 programmes that the government has included in Duare Sarkar. These include:
Muktir Alo
Department: Women and child development, social welfare
Aim: Launched in 2015, it is a rehabilitation scheme for trafficked women after their rescue and for sex workers to bring them back to the mainstream. Women are imparted training for self-development, stipend, food, accommodation during the six-month-long training and offered one-time financial assistance on its completion
Compensation: Rs 25,000 (one-time grant)
Where to apply: Gram panchayat/ municipality/ district social welfare officer
Manabik (Pension for people with disabilities)
Department: Women, child development & social welfare
Aim: Launched in 2018, monthly financial aid is given for treatment of people with more than 40 per cent disability, having an annual income of less than Rs 1 lakh per annum. The person should not have availed of any other financial assistance either from the central or state governments
Compensation: Rs 1,000 per month
Where to apply: District portals/ BDO/ municipality
Ex-gratia scheme for victims of natural calamities, snakebite, accidental death
Department: Women, child development & social welfare
Aim: Launched in 2009, it aims to compensate families of those killed in natural calamities like flood, cyclones, earthquake, lightning or snakebite. The amount of compensation is directly disbursed by the district magistrate within 24 hours of the incident.
Compensation: Maximum compensation for death in natural calamities is Rs 5 lakh and severe injuries Rs 1 lakh. The amount of compensation for snakebite death is Rs 2 lakh and injury is Rs 1 lakh
Where to apply: BDO office/ municipality
Swabalamban (special)
Department: Women and child development, social welfare
Aim: Launched in 2006 to make sex workers and their children self-sufficient by imparting acting lessons for jobs in the entertainment industry
Compensation: Entire training cost, food and syau
Where to apply: District portals/ BDO/ municipality/ West Bengal Women Development Undertaking.
Swami Vivekananda Swanirbhar Karma Sansthan Prakalpa (Atmamaryada)
Department: West Bengal Swarojgar Corporation Limited
Aim: Launched in 2015, the scheme is aimed to develop entrepreneurship among unemployed youths in the age group of 18-45.
Any unemployed youth individually or a by forming a self-help group with a minimum of five persons can avail of subsidised loan for entrepreneurship
Compensation: For an individual initiative, the maximum loan offered is Rs 10 lakh and for a group initiative the maximum eligible amount of loan is Rs 25 lakh
Where to apply: West Bengal Swarojgar Corporation Limited through BDO/ municipality.
