Owaisi Questions Linking Welfare Benefits To Voter Rolls In West Bengal

AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has raised concerns over the reported practice of linking welfare benefits to electoral rolls in West Bengal, arguing that access to government schemes should not depend on a person's status in the voter list.

Speaking on Saturday, Owaisi alleged that several beneficiaries have been denied ration and other welfare assistance after their names were removed or flagged during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls . According to him, many individuals marked as "absent" or "shifted" during the exercise, as well as some who had not received voter slips in previous elections, are in fact genuine voters.

Questioning the rationale behind the move, Owaisi said welfare benefits should not be tied to voter registration records. He argued that if electoral rolls are being used as the primary basis for verification, it raises questions about the role of existing biometric authentication systems already used to identify beneficiaries.

The AIMIM leader maintained that government welfare schemes are funded through public resources and are meant for all eligible citizens. He urged the state government to explain why voter lists were being used to determine eligibility for welfare programmes. Owaisi further claimed that the policy appeared aimed at reducing the number of beneficiaries and could disproportionately affect women, Scheduled Castes and Muslims .

He also criticised what he described as the politicisation of welfare programmes, stating that such schemes are not gifts from elected leaders but a right of eligible citizens.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of widespread corruption in the implementation of welfare schemes. He alleged that party leaders had misappropriated funds intended for the poor and said those responsible should be brought to justice.

Referring to schemes such as Lakshmir Bhandar and Annapurna Bhandar , Ghosh said Indian citizenship is a basic requirement for receiving government benefits. He also cited the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) , saying it provides a pathway to citizenship for eligible Hindu refugees from Bangladesh and Pakistan who have not yet obtained Indian citizenship.

Ghosh urged eligible individuals to complete the necessary registration process, warning that those without citizenship status could risk losing access to welfare benefits. The remarks underscore the growing political debate in West Bengal over voter verification, citizenship and welfare distribution.