West Bengal hospital food rates will rise from Rs 56.40 to Rs 110 per patient, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced at a government programme in Manikchak, Malda, saying the earlier rate had remained unchanged since 2017.
Adhikari said the increase was intended to help ensure that poor patients receive proper food three times a day in government hospitals. He also criticised the previous administration over the unchanged rate and said the decision had been taken after reviewing the needs of patients who depend on public healthcare.
“Actually, the people of the Chief Minister’s family do not go to hospitals. They do not go to ordinary hospitals. The people of the former Chief Minister go to America for treatment. Therefore, they have no experience of how poor people live and eat in local hospitals,” Adhikari said, without naming former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
The announcement places the cost of hospital food at the centre of a wider set of welfare and administrative measures outlined by the chief minister during the programme. Adhikari said remuneration had been increased for several categories of workers, including ICDS workers, ASHA workers, civic volunteers, para-teachers, Prani Bandhu workers and forest guards.
He also said civil defence personnel would receive employment for at least 20 days. The announcement did not specify the number of personnel covered or the administrative process for implementing the measure.
Police recruitment was another focus of the address. Adhikari said recruitment had previously been stalled because of complications related to reservations for Other Backward Classes and claimed that his government had resolved the issue. He announced the recruitment of 12,000 police personnel, with appointment letters and uniforms expected to be handed over at Netaji Indoor Stadium on October 12.
The chief minister further announced that government employees, including school teachers, would receive 20 per cent dearness allowance before Puja, by October 16. The statement did not provide the total financial liability or explain whether the payment would be made in a single instalment.
On housing, Adhikari said the second instalment of the Banglar Bari housing scheme had been released without discrimination between Hindus and Muslims. He also said West Bengal was expected to receive another 50 lakh houses under the Pashchim Bangla Awas Yojana. The address did not include a construction timeline, beneficiary selection schedule or funding details for the additional homes.
Adhikari urged migrant workers from Malda to obtain Ayushman Bharat cards so that eligible beneficiaries could access treatment in other states. He also cited around nine lakh applications from Malda under the Annapurna Yojana, saying funds had been disbursed to 6.80 lakh beneficiaries and payments for another 1.35 lakh applicants were under process.
The programme also covered local economic and energy-linked initiatives. Adhikari said Malda accounted for 1,563 metric tonnes of raw silk, or 68 per cent of West Bengal’s production, and identified food processing, mango, honey and jute as areas with potential for micro, small and medium enterprises.
He said Malda was lagging in the Surya Ghar scheme and directed officials to increase applications and approvals. Adhikari also announced a Kisan Development Board for members of the Kisan community seeking Scheduled Caste recognition and certificates. The next stated milestones are the distribution of police appointment letters and uniforms on October 12 and payment of the announced dearness allowance by October 16.
