The central government has approved the construction of 10 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in West Bengal, alongside sanctioning a total of Rs 4,000 crore for rural roads, pensions, rural employment schemes, and agriculture development. Of this amount, Rs 1,700 crore will be allocated exclusively for agriculture development.
Announcement by Minister Dilip Ghosh
State Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh announced the development on Tuesday. He stated that Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday, during which the allocation of Rs 1,700 crore for agriculture was agreed upon. According to sources, the Centre has approved Rs 1,000 crore for rural roads and Rs 600 crore for rural pension schemes.
Restart of Rural Job Schemes
The state government resumed work under rural job schemes from Tuesday. Relaunching the program from Uluberia, Ghosh mentioned that the Centre had already allocated Rs 700 crore for the project. He added, "Work under rural job schemes was stalled for four years, and we have taken up some pending MGNREGS work this month. VB-G RAM-G will start from July in the state, and 125 days' work will be guaranteed under that."
Voter List and Housing Survey
Ghosh noted that nearly 91 lakh names were deleted during the Special Integrated Revision (SIR) of voter lists. He indicated that some of those removed could be genuine voters, while others will be excluded from welfare measures. A special survey will be conducted over the next three months. The Centre will also initiate a survey to identify eligible households in rural Bengal for the construction of houses under PMAY-G, with funds to be allocated accordingly. The survey, named Awaas Plus 2024, is expected to be completed by June 25.
Significance of PMAY Allocation
The PMAY allocation to Bengal holds significance as rural housing had become a contentious issue between the Centre and the previous Trinamool Congress government. In 2022, the Centre suspended the allocation of housing funds to Bengal, citing widespread allegations of irregularities and corruption in beneficiary selection. Although around Rs 8,200 crore had been earmarked for the construction of nearly 11.5 lakh houses, the release of funds was later halted.
Following the suspension of central assistance, the then Trinamool government accused the Centre of discrimination and proceeded to sanction nearly 28 lakh houses from the state exchequer over the next two financial years.
Rural Roads and Other Initiatives
The construction and maintenance of rural roads had also slowed down considerably in recent years, prompting the previous Trinamool government to launch its own Pathashree scheme. However, that program too faced allegations of irregularities and delays in implementation. The Centre has now approved Rs 1,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana for rural roads.
Ghosh further stated that toilet projects will also be brought under rural job schemes to improve sanitation in rural areas.
