Families of BJP Workers Killed in Post-Poll Violence to Receive Aid and Employment: Suvendu Adhikari

MP, June 8, 2026, Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday announced that family members of 315 BJP workers allegedly killed in post-poll violence following the 2021 Assembly elections would receive financial assistance by the end of this month.

He said one member from each affected family would also be given a government job, with appointment letters to be handed over in June itself.

Each bereaved family will receive a one-time grant of Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

Addressing a BJP training camp at the New Town Convention Centre, Adhikari also announced that an agreement with the Centre on the Ayushman Bharat scheme would be signed on Monday at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

“About 1.46 crore families, comprising nearly 6.5 crore people, will receive Ayushman cards, enabling cashless treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh at health establishments across the country,” he said.

The BJP has long alleged that its workers were subjected to violence and intimidation in several districts after the 2021 elections.

Adhikari said Sunday’s announcement fulfilled a commitment he had made to victims of post-poll violence and their families even before assuming office as Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister said 556 km of border land would be handed over to the BSF for fencing and construction of border outposts to strengthen security.

“We have already handed over a 100-km stretch in different districts, with priority given to the Chicken’s Neck area in North Bengal,” he said.

Adhikari said the government had begun deporting foreign nationals, adding that 4,800 people had already been deported.

“We have set up holding centres across districts and 836 persons are currently lodged there. They will be deported very soon,” he said.

During his address, Adhikari urged party workers to follow the BJP’s principle of collective leadership, saying the party believes in “we, not I”.

He reiterated that all promises made in the BJP’s election manifesto would be implemented in phases and called for closer coordination between the government and the party organisation.

He asked workers to monitor the implementation of government schemes, ensure welfare benefits reached all sections of society, and provide feedback and oversight on governance.

Launching a fresh attack on the previous Trinamool Congress government, Adhikari alleged widespread corruption in welfare schemes.

He claimed irregularities had surfaced in multiple programmes and remarked that corruption was so extensive that “Brigade Parade Ground may have to be turned into a jail”.

Referring to the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, he alleged that around three lakh men had been receiving benefits meant for women beneficiaries.

He claimed that 4,500 male beneficiaries had been identified in Jangipur block of Murshidabad district and another 273 in a single area under Krishnanagar II block in Nadia.

“Corruption is so rampant that we have even found cases of widow pensions being received by men,” Adhikari said.

On the state’s Annapurna Yojana, he said funds had already been transferred to the bank accounts of 50 lakh women beneficiaries.

Adhikari also highlighted the government’s decision to rename Maa Canteen as Maa Aahar and announced that fish would be added to the subsidised meal menu twice a week from next week.

Saying the government had several welfare initiatives in the pipeline, the Chief Minister urged people to wait for the state budget, scheduled to be presented on June 22, for major announcements.