- Centre and West Bengal review projects worth over ₹82,000 crore.
- ₹12,064 crore allocated for rural development and employment.
- One lakh PMAY-G houses approved; Malda to get Clean Plant Facility.
- Crop insurance, KCC coverage and women SHG support to be expanded.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 14th July: Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday chaired a high-level review meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, state ministers and senior officials, announcing a series of initiatives aimed at accelerating infrastructure, agriculture and rural development in the state.
Addressing a joint press conference after the meeting, Chouhan said the vision of Viksit Bharat cannot be achieved without a developed West Bengal, adding that the Centre would work closely with the state government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The meeting reviewed 19 major infrastructure projects worth over ₹82,000 crore spanning roads, railways, metro, petroleum, natural gas, coal and labour sectors. The Union Minister said bottlenecks related to land acquisition, rehabilitation, utility shifting and forest clearances would be resolved through coordinated action to speed up implementation.
To strengthen monitoring, Chouhan proposed setting up a State Project Monitoring Group (PMG) on the lines of the Centre’s PRAGATI mechanism.
The Centre also announced ₹8,508 crore for rural development in West Bengal. Combined with the state’s contribution, the total allocation exceeds ₹12,064 crore, which will be routed through Panchayats to support employment generation and rural infrastructure under the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025.
Chouhan said the government aims to move beyond the existing 100-day employment guarantee by creating opportunities for 125 days of work, while building durable rural assets such as roads, ponds, irrigation facilities, schools and Anganwadi centres.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), the Union Minister announced approval for one lakh rural houses. He also extended the beneficiary survey deadline to August 15, citing delays caused by heavy rainfall, and directed officials to complete verification and begin allotments without delay.
To strengthen women’s livelihoods, Chouhan announced a ₹295 crore package under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, including ₹245 crore in bank credit and ₹50 crore through the Community Investment Fund for women’s Self-Help Groups.
In the agriculture sector, the Minister announced that Malda would be integrated into the national Clean Plant Programme, with a facility to produce disease-free planting material for mango, litchi and other fruit crops. He also unveiled plans to develop West Bengal as the Seed Hub of Eastern India, supported by projects in potato seed production, hybrid maize and other crops.
Special initiatives for rice, maize and orchid cultivation were also approved to strengthen value chains, processing infrastructure and farm incomes. Chouhan said a scientific agriculture roadmap was being prepared jointly by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), state agricultural universities and experts to promote region-specific crop planning.
The Centre also announced an expansion of coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, with village-level camps planned in coordination with NABARD and banks to improve farmers’ access to affordable institutional credit.
Reaffirming the Centre’s commitment, Chouhan said the Union Government would work “shoulder to shoulder” with West Bengal to accelerate development and improve the lives of farmers and rural communities.
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