The central government disbursed Rs 14,971.87 crore in cash and another Rs 8,117.63 crore in kind to the West Bengal government under various Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes in 2020-21, until 1 February this year, Union minister of state for Finance department Anurag Thakur has said.
Thakur was replying to questions raised by Darjeeling MP Raju Bista during the ongoing session of Parliament today. Bista had asked about the quantum of financial assistance provided to West Bengal under various DBT schemes of the central government to support the people during the Covid-19 lockdown period.
Thakur informed the House that a total of Rs 267.98 crore had been disbursed to the people in the two districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong in the past 10 months.
According to Thakur, Rs 215.43 crore was disbursed for Darjeeling district, out of which Rs 68.04 crore was disbursed in cash and Rs 147.39 crore in kind. Rs 52.55 crore had been given to Kalimpong district, out of which Rs 6.53 crore was in cash and Rs 46.02 crore in kind.
Based on information provided by Thakur, Bista today said that additionally under the scheme of Special Assistance to States for capital expenditure, West Bengal has been allocated Rs 630 crore, of which rs 315 crore had been released so far.
“Also, for the year 2020-21, all states have been allowed borrowings up to 2 percent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) over and above normal borrowing limit of 3 percent of the GSDP. Borrowings of 1 percent of the GSDP amounting to Rs 13,574 crore have already been issued to West Bengal. This will provide another Rs 27,149 crore to the State of West Bengal,” Bista said.
It may be noted here that Union minister of state for Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey yesterday said that Rs 231.46 crore had already been released in grant to the state government to use the funds for effective management of Covid-19. Choubey was also answering to queries made by Bista in Lok Sabha.