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Fish-rice meals at ₹5, curbs on liquor shops: Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari announces new initiatives
CM Suvendu Adhikari stated that the West Bengal government would also set up an AYUSH department, delinking it from the state health department.
West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari announced fresh initiatives from the state government for the welfare of the people, including affordable fish-rice meals, Annapurna Yojana, and rules for liquor shops.
Adhikari said that from May 27, his government will begin issuing forms for the Annapurna Yojana, under which women will receive ₹3,000 per month.
He further said that liquor shops will not be allowed within a one-kilometre radius of schools, colleges and places of worship.
The CM also said his government will introduce fish and rice meals for ₹5 at around 400 dedicated canteens twice a week, news agency PTI reported.
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"Annapurna Yojana forms will be issued from the state secretariat from tomorrow. All Indians are eligible to receive benefits under the scheme," Adhikari told reporters after an administration meeting at Kalyani, Nadia.
He further stated that the West Bengal government would also set up an AYUSH department, delinking it from the state health department.
Suvendu Adhikari has announced a slew of initiatives and schemes, taking several decisions for the state, since he took oath as the chief minister of West Bengal on May 9. He became the CM of the first Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state after the saffron party registered a landslide victory in the 2026 assembly elections, ending Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's nearly 15 year-long rule.
Suvendu's series of decisions in Bengal
Crackdown on illegal immigrants --
Last week, the CM directed all district magistrates to set up "holding centres" for apprehended illegal immigrants before their deportation, taking the BJP's electoral promise to "detect, delete and deport" all aliens forward.
The Foreigners' Branch, SAARC Visa Section, of the state home department, headed by Adhikari, issued an order, saying that holding centres should be set up after a May 2025 order from the Union home ministry.
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The directive came days after Adhikari ordered a crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and asked the state police to detain and hand them over to the BSF for deportation.
New recruitment policy --
The West Bengal CM also said the state government will introduce a new recruitment policy in the next budget session to curb irregularities in public sector hiring.
“The state government will launch a fresh recruitment policy in the next budget session. We shall introduce bills in the next Assembly to support the new policy,” he said at an event in Kolkata on May 23.
Probe into 2021 post-poll violence --
Previously, Adhikari ordered police stations across the state to launch an investigation into the 2021 post-poll violence, saying that FIRs must be lodged in every incident of murder and assault that was not previously probed.
“Let the families of those who died or were injured in political violence over the last five years file complaints with evidence. If they don’t have evidence, then the police will investigate and lodge FIRs,” Adhikari said.
He described the 2021 assembly election in Bengal as a "black chapter", adding that workers were hounded and murdered at the time. "As many as 12,500 FIRs have been lodged. If the accused are found guilty, we will put them in jail,” he added.
