Jubasathi and Krishak Bandhu Money Together! Who Will Face Strict Rules for Dual Benefits?
Jubasathi Scheme: Financial assistance under the state government’s Jubasathi scheme has started rolling into the bank accounts of beneficiaries. Since March 8, many individuals have received SMS notifications regarding the fund transfer, and the money has been directly credited to their accounts starting Monday. However, a major anomaly has surfaced during this distribution process. It has been observed that many citizens who are already beneficiaries of other state social security schemes are also receiving funds from this new initiative.
Lack of Strict Verification
During the application process, a specific column on the second page of the form asked whether the applicant receives any other state government assistance. Surprisingly, many applicants who actually enjoy other government benefits selected the “No” option. During the initial stage of digitizing these applications, there was a severe lack of proper verification. Officials approved the applications based solely on the submitted forms, resulting in individuals enjoying double benefits simultaneously.
Chief Minister’s Directive and Dual Benefits
The Honorable Chief Minister had previously made it clear that recipients of Lakshmir Bhandar or any other government allowance would not be eligible for the Jubasathi scheme. According to the scheme’s guidelines, the applicant must be completely unemployed and must not be covered under any state social security scheme, barring educational scholarships. Although the ‘Krishak Bandhu’ scheme is considered an assistance program rather than a direct allowance, its beneficiaries are still technically ineligible to apply for Jubasathi. Despite this, many are simultaneously receiving money from Lakshmir Bhandar, Krishak Bandhu, and Jubasathi.
Legal Actions Versus Ground Reality
As per the rules, providing false information on the application form can lead to legal action and the immediate withdrawal of the benefit. Point number three of the Jubasathi form issues a strict warning regarding this. However, past incidents paint a different picture. In reality, there have been numerous cases where family members continued to withdraw old-age or widow pensions for years even after the actual beneficiary’s demise. Similarly, Krishak Bandhu funds have been withdrawn from ATMs post-death. While these payments eventually stopped automatically, no one had to face legal complications or refund the money. Nevertheless, if the administration opts for strict verification in the coming days, those hiding information to get dual benefits might see their payments stopped permanently. Therefore, providing accurate information remains the safest approach.
