West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Monday that the Centre has allocated ₹8,500 crore to the state under the VB G-RAM G scheme. According to reports from Business Standard, this allocation represents a significant financial commitment from the central government to support rural development initiatives in West Bengal. The announcement was made while launching the state-wide 'Jan Kalyan Shivir' programme from Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district.
Under the Gram Sadak Yojana, allocations worth ₹2,400 crore have been approved and ₹1,000 crore released by the Centre, as reported by Business Standard. This substantial funding demonstrates the Centre's commitment to improving rural connectivity and infrastructure development in West Bengal. The release of ₹1,000 crore indicates that implementation of these road development projects is already underway.
The chief minister launched 1,100 'Jan Kalyan Shivir' camps being organised from June 15 to June 17, according to Business Standard. These camps will help people access 54 central and state government schemes, with operations running from 10 am to 5 pm daily. Adhikari described this as the first such outreach programme of the BJP government in West Bengal, providing citizens with direct access to welfare scheme information and application submission facilities. The initiative is specifically designed to ensure welfare benefits reach eligible beneficiaries directly while addressing alleged irregularities in beneficiary databases from previous administrations.
The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G) scheme replaced MGNREGA and guarantees 125 days of employment annually to rural households, as reported by Business Standard. This employment guarantee represents a significant improvement in rural job security and provides consistent income opportunities for rural families. The scheme's implementation is expected to address long-term unemployment concerns in rural areas, with Adhikari emphasizing that benefits should be restricted to genuine and deserving households while questioning the inclusion of ineligible recipients in welfare schemes.
The camps will cover 54 schemes, including Annapurna Yojana, Ayushman Bharat and several other welfare programmes, according to Business Standard. Long queues of applicants were observed at several locations on the opening day, indicating strong public interest in accessing these welfare schemes. Adhikari emphasized the government's commitment to identifying genuine beneficiaries and preventing benefits from reaching fake account holders, highlighting the importance of proper database management and verification processes. The chief minister also questioned extending welfare benefits to families that do not send their children to recognised schools, or to institutions where 'Vande Mataram' is not sung, while alleging irregularities in beneficiary databases under the previous regime.
