Kolkata, June 4 (IANS) Several Central government schemes and projects that had been stalled in West Bengal since 2022 are being relaunched, Minister for Panchayats and Rural Development Dilip Ghosh announced this here on Thursday.

Ghosh said that with the arrival of central funds, various rural development projects are now moving rapidly towards implementation.

He expressed hope that this would inject fresh momentum into the sectors of employment generation, housing and rural infrastructure development. Central funding for various schemes in the state had been effectively suspended since 2022 following allegations of corruption.

The Minister informed that several key central schemes falling under the purview of the State Department of Panchayats and Rural Development have been reactivated. These include the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) and various schemes under the Central Finance Commission.

A major initiative has been undertaken under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana to improve rural connectivity.

The Minister announced that policy approval for West Bengal was granted during a meeting of the Empowered Committee of the Union Ministry of Rural Development held on May 27. According to the plan, approximately 2,790 km of new rural roads and 45 bridges will be constructed across the state. This project, estimated at nearly Rs 2,500 crore, will be implemented through joint funding from the Central and State governments. Administrative sources indicated that work is set to commence as soon as formal approval is received.

The most significant announcement concerns the ‘100-day work’ scheme. Initiatives have been set in motion to revive the MGNREGS project, which had been effectively stalled since March 2022, Ghosh said.

Preparations have been completed to initiate work in every Gram Panchayat area, aiming to bring approximately 2 crore 56 lakh job card holders across the state under the ambit of employment generation.

According to the Minister, administrative approvals, training and capacity-building activities have also reached their final stages. The Minister announced that the ‘Viksit Bharat: Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Grameen)’ is set to be launched nationwide starting July 1. The existing NREGA framework will remain operational until the end of June, after which the new scheme will come into effect in July. Under this new system, eligible families will be entitled to 125 days of wage-based employment annually. Additionally, provisions for statutory protection — specifically, an unemployment allowance for a period of 60 days — will also be in place. The Central and state governments will share the financial burden of the scheme in a 60:40 ratio.

Work has also commenced on the ‘Awaas Plus 2024’ survey under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Grameen). Door-to-door surveys are being conducted across every Gram Panchayat to identify genuine beneficiaries. The survey is scheduled to be completed by July 20. Subsequently, the final list of beneficiaries will be published following a process of verification, approval by the Gram Sabha and final ratification at the district level.

The administration anticipates that the revitalisation of these schemes will play a pivotal role in boosting the state’s rural economy, generating employment, and fostering infrastructure development.

–IANS

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