Kolkata, 04 June (H.S.) :
Several long-pending Central rural development schemes are set to resume in West Bengal, aiming to boost employment, housing, and rural infrastructure development in the state.
West Bengal Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh announced on Thursday at a press briefing in Nabanna that the release of Central funds has accelerated the implementation process of various rural welfare programmes.
He said that multiple key schemes under the Panchayat and Rural Development Department have been reactivated, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission, National Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, National Social Assistance Programme, and several initiatives under the Central Finance Commission.
According to the minister, extensive preparations are underway under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana to strengthen rural connectivity. He said that during a meeting of the Empowered Committee of the Union Ministry of Rural Development held on May 27, in-principle approval was granted for West Bengal projects. The proposal includes construction of approximately 2,790 km of rural roads and 45 bridges, with an estimated cost of around ₹2,500 crore under joint funding from the Centre and the State. Work will begin once final approval is granted.
Ghosh also stated that preparations have been completed to restart the MGNREGS, which had remained largely inactive since March 2022. Administrative approvals, training, and capacity-building measures are in the final stage, with plans to provide employment opportunities to nearly 25.6 million job card holders across gram panchayats.
He added that a new nationwide rural employment and livelihood mission titled “Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural)” will be launched from July 1. The existing MGNREGS framework will remain in effect until June, after which the new system will take over. Under the new scheme, eligible households will be entitled to 125 days of wage employment per year, along with a legal provision ensuring support if work is not provided for up to 60 days. The funding pattern will be shared between the Centre and the State in a 60:40 ratio.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin, the “Awaas Plus 2024” survey has also begun. Door-to-door identification of eligible beneficiaries is currently underway across gram panchayats, and the survey is expected to be completed by July 20. Following verification, gram sabha approval and district-level clearance, the final beneficiary list will be published.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
