Bengal govt launches Rs 5 fish-rice meals, imposes liquor ban near schools

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced a sweeping series of welfare and regulatory measures, introducing subsidized Rs 5 fish-and-rice meals across the state alongside a strict ban on liquor outlets near educational and religious institutions.

Addressing an administrative gathering on Tuesday (May 26), Adhikari emphasized an institutional shift in the state's governance framework. "A new system has been introduced where it is not the rule of the ruler, but the rule of law," Adhikari said, noting that the administration is conducting widespread outreach meetings to align regional governance with the newly elected government's manifesto.

Subsidized meals and financial assistance

The government will roll out the subsidized "maach-bhaat" (fish and rice) meals across 400 dedicated state-run canteens—an initiative of the previous TMC government. The institutionalization of the Rs 5 fish-rice scheme follows intense political debates during the Assembly election campaign earlier this year.

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Alongside the food subsidy, the administration will begin distributing registration forms for the Annapurna Yojana. Under this welfare program, eligible women across West Bengal will receive a monthly financial assistance transfer of Rs 3,000.

Restrictions on liquor outlets

In a major regulatory directive targeting public spaces, the chief minister announced that liquor shops will no longer be permitted to operate within a one-kilometre radius of any school, college, or temple.

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The enforcement of the zoning law coincides with a series of coordination reviews being executed across districts, including Nadia, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, and the Malda and Medinipur regions, to streamline local law enforcement and governance.

Cultural identity

This announcement comes after leaders of the Trinamool Congress alleged during the state’s Assembly election campaign that the BJP would ban fish, meat, and eggs, if it came to power in the state. By scaling up state-funded canteens with a designated fish-and-rice menu, the new administration has moved directly to defuse concerns over cultural food identity, effectively re-engineering the state's established subsidized food welfare models to consolidate its regional governance strategy.