Calcutta High Court seeks response of West Bengal on plea by BJP chief alleging non-implementation of Digital India Mission's CSC scheme

The Calcutta High Court on Monday sought the response of the West Bengal government to a plea by Bhartiya Janata Party's (BJP's) State chief Dr. Sukanta Majumdar alleging non-implementation of the Central government's Common Service Centre (CSC) scheme launched under the Digital India Mission [Dr Sukanta Majumdar vs State of West Bengal]..A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya issued notice to the State on the plea. CSC is a platform where citizens can directly get the benefits of various schemes launched by the Central government. The scheme mandate setting up of CSCs in all the gram panchayats across the country.The scheme was implemented by the West Bengal government earlier but in 2020, the State came up with Bangla Sahayata Kendra (BKS), which would help citizens to get the benefits of all State-initiated schemes. While launching its own BKS, the State notified stopping of the CSC.The petitioner moved the Court highlighting this fact. He contended that the issue of not implementing the CSC scheme was of great concern as citizens in West Bengal were being deprived of nearly 200 services of the Central government.The bench noted that there was no clarity on what services are available under the BSK facility."It is not clear as to what are the services available in the BSK and what was the reason for the State to issue a notification stating that all public services would rendered through BSK, and no service shall be rendered through CSC. Such a notification in our prima facie view, speaks of schemes and services offered by the State government, and these do not cover schemes available through the CSC," the bench said.It therefore, directed the State to file a reply in response to the PIL. It however, refused to grant any interim order.The bench, however, observed that the CSCs are important contributors for making a digitally and financially inclusive society. The scheme enables community participation and focuses on rural population."It provides a centralised framework for delivery of services to citizens, besides ensuring sustainability. These are positioned as change agents promoting rural entrepreneurship and livelihoods as they also deliver services such as agriculture, legal, education, health care, social welfare schemes, etc. apart from business to consumer (B2C) services in remote areas of the country," the bench underscored..During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the petitioner told the bench that initially the CSC scheme was implemented by the West Bengal government by partnering with the Central government but in 2020, it abruptly stopped the same."There cannot be a nation within a nation. No State government can stop the schemes and services of the Central government which are meant for the citizens. By stopping the CSCs, the State government has been depriving the people of West Bengal of the numerous welfare schemes of the Central government," the counsel highlighted.Having heard the arguments, the bench sought to know why the petitioner moved the court, when he could have easily raised the concern in the Parliament since he is a Member of Parliament (MP).However, the counsel pointed out the students of minority communities might lose out on their scholarships as the funds allotted by the Ministry of Minority Affairs for such backward and minority community students, is to be implemented through the CSCs only.