Trinamool promises to give Rs 5,000 monthly to Goa women

Ahead of All India Trinamool Congress(AITC) chief Mamata Banerjee's visit this week, the party's Goa unit on Saturday promised 'Griha Lakshmi' scheme, if voted to power in the upcoming assembly polls. Banerjee will visit Goa on Monday.

Aiming to win over women voters, this scheme will provide ₹5,000 through direct transfer to female heads of families. It is modelled on West Bengal's 'Lakshmir Bhandar' scheme. "On behalf of Trinamool chairperson Mamata Banerjee, we are launching the 'Griha Lakshmi' scheme.

It is a unique direct transfer scheme. A monthly payment of ₹5,000 for every female head of the household. They will receive the money in their bank accounts. We are going to pay 3.5 lakh households in Goa, according to ration card details. No particular caste or community but every woman of each of the 3.5 lakh households will receive the money in her bank account," said AITC Goa in-charge Mohua Moitra.


After introducing Kanyashree, Rupasree and many other women and girl-child oriented schemes in West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee government has introduced the 'Lakshmir Bhandar' scheme to provide financial aid to women of West Bengal and empower them. Ahead of the polls, Banerjee had promised to give financial aid to the women community from both the general category as well as SC/ST and OBCs.

"Budgetary allocation for this scheme in Goa will be 6-8% of Goa's budget, similar to Bengal. The present government here already has a scheme which offers ₹1,500 per month through a scheme. So, why are we introducing this scheme? The number of beneficiaries of the present scheme is only 1.5 lakh households. Moreover, there is an income cut-off for the scheme," said Moitra. The "Griha Laxmi" scheme will cost the Goa government approximately ₹1,500-2,000 crore which is 6-8% of the state budget, Moitra said. The scheme will operate through a Griha Lakshmi card, which was also launched by Trinamool Congress in Goa..