PANAJI
Backlog payments to beneficiaries of the various social welfare schemes will be cleared and credited into their individual bank accounts by September 15, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday.
Sawant who was addressing some beneficiaries of the BJP's election manifesto promise to provide three LPG cylinders to the Antodhaya (BPL) ration card holders, said the decision to clear all the pending payments to the welfare scheme beneficiaries was taken at a recent review meeting of his administration.
"We will also try to give sanction letters to all whose applications under these schemes have been approved by September 15," Sawant said adding that it will give these beneficiary Goans some assistance in footing the additional expenses during the Ganesh Chathurti festival.
“Be it schemes under the social welfare department, tribal department or the Women and Child department...the pending money will be released to all before September 15,” Sawant told the media later.
Sawant and his government have often come under severe criticism from the Opposition for keeping these payments to beneficiaries of welfare schemes pending for long while spending lavishly on government events.
Earlier speaking at the launch of 'Mukhya Mantri LPG Cylinder Subsidy Scheme' Sawant said, arrears of farmers and milk producers will also be cleared before September 15.
Civil Supplies Minister Ravi Naik, Secretary Sanjit Rodrigues, IAS, and Civil Supplies Director, Gopal Parsekar were on the dais when Sawant said the LPG subsidy will be substantial as it comes on the back of prices having been slashed by Rs 200 per cylinder by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of Raksha Bandhan
Under the State government's LPG scheme for the BPL ration card holders, Sawant said, Rs 275 per month will be deposited in the bank accounts of 11,550 beneficiaries.
He also said a mechanism will be worked out to pay this amount directly to the LPG agency.
