Siliguri, 21st September: Several women beneficiaries staged a protest outside the Siliguri Sub-Divisional Officer’s office on Monday, alleging that they had not received funds under the Annapurna Yojana despite applying for the scheme as per the prescribed procedure.
The protesters alleged that the stipulated period had passed, but the promised financial assistance had still not been credited to their bank accounts. They claimed that although the state government had announced financial assistance under the scheme, many beneficiaries were yet to receive the funds.
The women further alleged that in several cases, their applications were showing as “approved”, yet the money had not been credited. They claimed that they were repeatedly asked to visit the office to make enquiries and, in some cases, were also being asked to fill out the forms again.
The protesters said it was difficult for them to visit the office repeatedly after leaving their daily work, causing considerable inconvenience.
Beneficiaries had earlier staged a similar protest in Siliguri over the same issue. On Monday, they once again raised their grievances and demanded that the pending funds be released at the earliest, along with a clear explanation for the delay.
The protest outside the office led to tension in the area for some time, though the situation was eventually brought under control.
