The newly established Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of West Bengal has decided to terminate all government programs and allowances that are being provided based on religious criteria. This significant move has been made nine days after the formation of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s government.
The state’s minister for Women and Child Development, Agnimitra Paul, declared this important decision during a press briefing after a cabinet meeting convened on 18th May (Monday). She stated that this financial aid will continue only until the conclusion of the current month and will be entirely ceased beginning next month which is 1st June.
“All assistance schemes currently being administered by the Department of Information and Cultural Affairs, as well as the Department of Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education, on the basis of religious classification are now being discontinued. The present arrangement will remain in effect for the current month, but starting next month, it will be completely abolished. A detailed notification regarding this matter will be issued shortly,” Paul informed.
During the assembly elections, the saffron party promised in its manifesto “Sankalp Patra” to prioritise “Bhat, not Bhatta” (employment over handouts) and to guarantee effective governance. These dole outs were consistently slammed by the party as “Muslim appeasement” and an undermining of the state’s economy by the previous Trinamool Congress government.
On 21st August 2023, the then Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government increased the monthly honorarium of Islamic clerics (Imams) and Hindu priests (purohits) by ₹500. As such, the effective monthly increase of allowance to Imams and purohits increased to ₹3000 (up from ₹2500) and ₹1500 (up from ₹1000). Muslim individuals who gave Islamic call to prayer (Azaan), popularly called Muezzins, were paid an honorarium at par with Hindu priests i.e. ₹1500 per month.
Eight years after the honorarium scheme for Imams and Muezzins came into force, Mamata Banerjee announced a monthly allowance for Hindu priests in September 2020. It is important to mention that the number of Hindu beneficiaries was just 8000, compared to 55,000 Imams. Their pay was ₹1500 per month, 50% less than that of Imams.
