Kolkata, 07 August (H.S.) : West Bengal Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh on Friday ruled out any increase in taxes imposed by gram panchayats, stating that local bodies have instead been advised to strengthen their finances by generating revenue from their own assets.

Speaking at an Outcome Review Meeting of the Panchayat and Rural Development Department at Rabindra Bhavan in Krishnanagar, Ghosh dismissed speculation that households in panchayat areas would be required to pay higher taxes.

There will be no increase in panchayat taxes. Panchayats have been advised to become financially self-reliant by making better use of their own resources, the minister said.

He suggested that panchayats increase their income by utilising assets such as ponds, markets, market sheds, river ghats and community halls in panchayat buildings through rentals and other legitimate sources. According to him, this would strengthen the financial position of panchayats without imposing any additional burden on residents, while also creating greater resources for development projects.

Addressing allegations of irregularities in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Ghosh said action had been taken against beneficiaries found to be ineligible. He claimed that around 1,000 ineligible beneficiaries had already returned government funds, while the process of removing nearly 12,500 ineligible names from the beneficiary list was underway.

The minister said that only genuine and eligible beneficiaries would receive housing assistance in the future.

On border area development, Ghosh referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision that the country's last border village should be regarded as its first village. He said the Vibrant Villages Programme is being implemented in border districts, including Nadia, to improve infrastructure, strengthen security and promote self-reliance among border communities.

According to the minister, the initiative is expected to improve living standards in border areas while helping curb illegal infiltration.

The review meeting was attended by the District Magistrate of Nadia, senior district administration officials, officers of the Panchayat and Rural Development Department, and representatives of gram panchayats from across the district.

Earlier in the day, while interacting with reporters during a morning walk at Eco Park in Kolkata, Ghosh also said that no leaders from the Trinamool Congress were joining the BJP at present.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh