West Bengal’s newly formed government officially ordered free travel for female passengers on all state-run buses starting June 1, marking the first major policy execution following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s takeover of the state assembly. The transit mandate is part of a rapid administrative restructuring that follows the end of the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year administration.
The formal notification, issued Friday following a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, allows women to board buses using an interim government-issued photo identification rule. State transport authorities are actively developing a permanent digital infrastructure that will eventually require female commuters to use dedicated smart cards featuring QR codes linked to their Aadhaar or voter identification data.
Parallel to the transport initiative, the state launched the “Annapurna Yojana,” a direct benefit transfer program allocating ₹3,000 monthly to eligible women beginning next month. The program replaces the previous administration’s “Lakshmi Bhandar” scheme, which offered ₹1,500, and explicitly extends eligibility to women who applied for citizenship under the CAA.
The cabinet also enacted a complete abolition of religion-based financial assistance programs. Monthly stipends introduced by the previous government, including ₹3,000 for mosque imams and ₹2,000 for Hindu purohits, will be permanently discontinued at the end of May. The Madrasa Department and the Information & Cultural Affairs Department have been ordered to freeze disbursements, redirecting the funds to finance a secular, merit-based student scholarship.
Further administrative directives approved during the session include the formal cancellation of the state’s existing OBC list, adhering to a 2024 Calcutta High Court judgment that struck down recent additions. The government also authorized the formation of the 7th State Pay Commission to begin restructuring salaries for state employees.