Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 6 (ANI): All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday raised serious concerns regarding the West Bengal government's recent policy of tying welfare entitlements to electoral rolls. He pointed out that many people, who were excluded during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive but are 'genuine voters', were being denied PDS rations.

'The West Bengal government has linked welfare benefits to the voter list and is now denying PDS ration and other benefits to people excluded during SIR. This includes people marked as 'absent' or 'shifted', and those who did not receive voter slips during the last election. But many people in these categories are genuine voters,' Owaisi said.

'Why should access to ration or welfare depend on whether your name is on the voter list? What is the point of Aadhaar authentication if the voter roll is being used as the deciding factor?' he added.

Expressing strong disapproval of West Bengal's current welfare distribution model, the AIMIM chief demanded an explanation for why voter lists are being used to vet beneficiaries.

'Government schemes are not rewards for voters. They are meant for all eligible citizens. This move looks less like verification and more like an attempt to cut beneficiary numbers while making life harder for the poorest people, especially women, SCs and Muslims. The government is acting as if these schemes are Prince Suvendu's personal charity. They are not. They are funded by public money and are the right of every eligible citizen,' Owaisi said.

His remarks come after West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh said the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is 'heading towards collapse', alleging that the party looted money from central and state welfare schemes and must be brought to justice.

Speaking to reporters, Ghosh alleged that corruption prevails within the TMC 'from top to bottom' and claimed that the organisation is gradually collapsing. He further alleged that TMC leaders amassed wealth by siphoning funds meant for public welfare schemes.

'Corruption is prevailing in TMC from top to bottom. Step by step, the whole organisation is heading for collapse... TMC leaders made fortunes for themselves. It is not their money; it is the poor people's wealth, looted from central and state schemes. They must be brought to justice,' he said.

Speaking on welfare schemes such as Lakshmi Bhandar and Annapurna Bhandar, Ghosh said eligibility for such benefits requires Indian citizenship. Referring to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), he said it applies to Hindu refugees who came to India from Bangladesh and Pakistan and have not yet obtained citizenship.

'It's not just about schemes like Lakshmi Bhandar or Annapurna. Whatever benefits the central and state governments of India provide to citizens, the first condition to receive those is that one must be an Indian citizen. For those who haven't obtained citizenship or have lost it--specifically Hindu refugees who have come from Bangladesh or Pakistan--there is the CAA,' Ghosh stated.

He further urged people to register themselves to avail such benefits and said non-citizens would otherwise be deprived of government welfare benefits. (ANI)