Coming down on the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana launched two days ago, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati on Saturday said the scheme would not provide “direct financial help to the poor”. The scheme, launched two days ago, envisages provision of bank accounts for every household nationwide along with accident insurance cover.
Speaking to the press ahead of the BSP’s Central Executive Committee meeting at her 13 Mall Avenue residence, where she was unanimously re-elected party president, Ms. Mayawati said the “poor will be unable to meet their daily requirements under the scheme”.
She said the Rs.1-lakh insurance cover would be hard to secure given that it often took years to complete the inquiries under the rules: “The experience in the insurance sector has not been a particularly happy one for the majority of the people.”
Ms. Mayawati slammed the Narendra Modi government for dropping, or putting on the backburner, the programmes initiated for the poor by the previous UPA government. “The BSP is keeping a close watch on the BJP-led government at the Centre regarding its approach towards the weaker sections,” she said. She added that the BSP had given the poor direct financial aid under the “Uttar Pradesh Mukhya Mantri Mahamaya Gharib Arthik Madad Yojana”.
Criticising the Samajwadi Party government’s announcement of setting up fast-track courts for crime against women in the State as “a hollow statement”, Ms. Mayawati said the decisions taken at the Cabinet meeting were aimed only at garnering publicity. Taking a swipe at U.P. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s Netherlands visit, Ms. Mayawati said looking abroad belied the government’s avowed intent on industrialisation.
Earlier, senior BSP office-bearer and Rajya Sabha member Ambeth Rajan announced Ms. Mayati’s election after completing formalities under the party’s rules.
