Kolkata, 19 May (H.S.): The West Bengal government has announced that four cities in the state will be brought under pilot projects of the Centre’s Swachh Bharat Mission, marking a significant policy shift after the recent political change in the state.

The decision was discussed during a meeting on the Swachh Bharat Mission convened in New Delhi on Tuesday by Union Urban Development Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Representatives from various states attended the meeting. West Bengal was represented by state minister Agnimitra Paul, marking the first participation by a Bengal minister in such a meeting in nearly a decade.

Speaking after the meeting, Paul said the previous state government had failed to effectively implement the Swachh Bharat Mission. “Other states have performed much better. Only around 16 per cent of the allocated funds had been utilised in Bengal earlier,” she claimed.

The minister announced that pilot projects under the Swachh Bharat Mission would initially be launched in four urban areas of the state. According to her, West Bengal is expected to receive projects worth nearly Rs 200 crore under the scheme.

She said the Union minister had assured the state that there would be no shortage of funds if viable projects were implemented properly under the mission.

The cities selected for the initial phase include Durgapur-Asansol, Kalimpong and Darjeeling. The government plans to focus extensively on cleanliness and waste management in these urban areas.

Paul said the initiative would not be limited to cleaning major roads alone, but would also cover inner lanes and residential localities. She added that efforts would be made to make the selected cities plastic-free.

The minister also stressed the importance of scientific waste management, saying garbage and waste materials could be processed and reused for multiple purposes if managed efficiently.

She further announced that Union Urban Development Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is expected to visit West Bengal later this month.

Since coming to power in the state, the BJP-led government has repeatedly emphasised cleanliness and urban management. In recent weeks, eviction drives were carried out near major railway stations such as Sealdah and Howrah to clear encroachments in the name of improving sanitation and civic conditions.

The state government is also considering awareness campaigns at the school level to promote the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission, Paul indicated.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh