Bengal approves 14,454 govt posts, Rs 50,000 scheme for unmarried women pursuing higher education

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced recruitment to 14,454 government posts within six to eight months, and approved the Bhagini Nibedita Scheme to provide Rs 50,000 assistance to unmarried women pursuing higher education in three years.

The government also raised the monthly remuneration of 'Karmabandhus', part-time support staff, from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000, while increasing the food allowance for SC and ST hostel students from Rs 1,800 to Rs 3,300.

Briefing reporters at the state secretariat following a Cabinet meeting, Adhikari said the Public Service Commission and the State Police Recruitment Board would complete the examination and recruitment process for the newly approved vacancies.


"We had promised to provide one lakh government jobs in the state, and we are moving towards that goal. The PSC is now working at full strength to complete all pending recruitment processes. During the previous Trinamool government, young people were deprived of jobs due to complications over OBC certificates and administrative failures," he said.

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Adhikari claimed that had that government remained now, there would never have been any recruitment in the state.

The vacancies will be spread across departments including forests, fire services, prisons, home and hill affairs, he said.

The chief minister also announced an increase in the monthly remuneration of 'Karmabandhus', contractual sanitation workers engaged under the land and land revenue department, from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 with effect from this month.

The food allowance for SC and ST students residing in government hostels has also been increased from Rs 1,800 to Rs 3,300 per month, he said.

Adhikari said the Cabinet also approved the 'Bhagini Nivedita Scheme' to provide financial assistance to unmarried women pursuing higher education.

Under the scheme, beneficiaries will receive Rs 17,000 in the first and second years each, and Rs 16,000 in the third year, taking the total assistance to Rs 50,000.

The scheme will be implemented from January next year, he said.

On the police recruitment, Adhikari said appointment-related formalities for around 12,000 posts would be taken up on October 11, and about 5,000 candidates would receive appointment letters at a programme on the same day.

He also announced that the emergency response number 112 would be launched for the state police on October 10, coinciding with Mahalaya.

On the occasion, 400 vehicles and 450 motorcycles would be handed over to various police stations at a programme at the Brigade Parade Ground.