The Centre has announced an ambitious development roadmap for West Bengal, combining large-scale infrastructure investments with enhanced support for rural development, agriculture, housing and women’s empowerment. The announcements were made by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan after chairing a high-level review meeting attended by senior officials from the Union and state governments.
Addressing a joint press conference, Chouhan said that the development of West Bengal was integral to the vision of Viksit Bharat and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. He said the Centre was committed to working closely with the state government to remove bottlenecks, accelerate project execution and unlock the state’s economic potential.
The minister said that improving infrastructure, modernising agriculture and strengthening rural livelihoods would not only benefit West Bengal but also contribute significantly to India’s long-term growth.
Rs 82,000 Crore Infrastructure Projects Reviewed
One of the key announcements was the review of 19 major infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 82,000 crore across sectors including roads, railways, metro rail, petroleum and natural gas, coal and labour.
According to Chouhan, these projects have the potential to transform connectivity, industrial growth and logistics in West Bengal. However, many of them have faced delays due to issues relating to land acquisition, rehabilitation, forest clearances, utility shifting and coordination among various departments.
The minister said both the Centre and the state government had agreed to adopt a time-bound approach to resolve these pending issues so that the projects could move forward without unnecessary delays.
He stressed that timely completion of infrastructure projects is critical for attracting investment, generating employment and strengthening the state’s economic competitiveness.
Proposal for State-Level Project Monitoring Group
To ensure closer coordination between various departments and agencies, Chouhan proposed setting up a State-level Project Monitoring Group (PMG) in West Bengal.
The proposed mechanism would function on the lines of the Centre’s PRAGATI platform, which monitors large infrastructure projects and resolves implementation bottlenecks through regular reviews involving multiple ministries.
According to the minister, a dedicated monitoring mechanism at the state level would help expedite approvals, improve coordination and ensure that major public infrastructure projects are completed within scheduled timelines.
Officials believe such a mechanism would significantly reduce administrative delays and improve project execution across sectors.
Rs 8,508 Crore Rural Development Package
The Centre also announced a major financial package aimed at strengthening rural development in West Bengal.
Chouhan said the Union government has approved Rs 8,508 crore for the state. With the matching contribution from the state government, the total amount available for Panchayati Raj institutions will exceed Rs 12,064 crore until March 31.
The funds are expected to support rural infrastructure, employment generation, local development works and strengthening of village-level governance.
The minister said the financial assistance would help improve the quality of life in rural areas while creating durable community assets and expanding livelihood opportunities.
A major component of the rural development roadmap is the Centre’s new VB-G RAM framework, which came into effect on July 1.
Chouhan said the government intends to increase rural employment opportunities from the existing 100 days to 125 days under the revised framework. The initiative will place greater emphasis on the creation of durable assets instead of short-term works.
Projects undertaken under the programme will include construction of rural roads, ponds, irrigation facilities, school buildings, Anganwadi centres and other public infrastructure that can generate long-term economic benefits for villages.
According to the minister, the new framework seeks to combine employment generation with sustainable rural asset creation.
Push for Rural Housing
Housing also figured prominently in the announcements.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), Chouhan announced interim approval for one lakh rural houses in West Bengal.
He said the beneficiary survey, originally scheduled to conclude earlier, has now been extended until August 15 because of heavy rainfall affecting field verification.
The minister directed officials to complete the verification process within the revised timeline so that house allotments could begin without delay.
He said providing permanent housing to eligible rural families remains one of the Centre’s key priorities.
Support for Women’s Self-Help Groups
The Centre also announced additional financial support to strengthen women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana.
Chouhan said assistance worth Rs 295 crore has been sanctioned for the state. Of this, Rs 245 crore will be provided as bank credit while another Rs 50 crore will be released under the Community Investment Fund.
The assistance is expected to strengthen rural entrepreneurship, expand livelihood opportunities for women and improve financial inclusion across villages.
The minister said Self-Help Groups have emerged as an important pillar of rural economic development by promoting savings, micro-enterprises and women’s participation in local economies.
Agriculture formed another major focus of the Centre’s development strategy for West Bengal.
Chouhan announced that Malda district will be integrated into the national Clean Plant Programme. A specialised facility will be established to produce disease-free planting material for mango, litchi and other horticultural crops.
He said the programme aims to improve productivity, enhance quality and increase farmers’ incomes through the supply of certified planting material.
To encourage participation, financial assistance of up to Rs 3 crore will be provided for large nurseries, while medium-sized nurseries will be eligible for assistance of up to Rs 1.5 crore.
Officials believe the initiative will strengthen West Bengal’s horticulture sector and improve export competitiveness.
Strengthening Crop Value Chains
The Centre also announced new initiatives to strengthen value chains for rice, maize and orchids.
According to Chouhan, these projects will focus on improving production, processing, storage and market access while increasing value addition for farmers.
He said West Bengal would also be developed as the Seed Hub of Eastern India.
Memorandums of Understanding have already been signed between the Centre and the state government for the production of potato seed, hybrid maize seed and other crop seeds.
The minister said developing a robust seed ecosystem would improve agricultural productivity not only in West Bengal but across eastern India.
Chouhan said the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), agricultural universities and state scientists are jointly preparing a scientific agriculture roadmap for West Bengal.
The roadmap will be based on detailed assessments of the state’s agro-climatic conditions, soil characteristics and water availability.
According to the minister, the objective is to recommend crop diversification, improved farming practices and technology adoption suited to different regions of the state.
He added that efforts are also underway to upgrade rice research institutions into Centres of Excellence to promote advanced research, innovation and technology transfer.
Expanding Crop Insurance and Institutional Credit
The Union Minister also announced measures to increase farmers’ access to crop insurance and institutional finance.
He said the coverage of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme would be expanded across West Bengal.
Village-level camps will be organised jointly by NABARD, banks and government agencies to help farmers enrol under these schemes and access formal credit.
According to Chouhan, increasing institutional lending will reduce farmers’ dependence on informal moneylenders while improving financial security and investment in agriculture.
The minister said expanding crop insurance coverage would also provide greater protection against natural disasters and crop losses.
Centre Reiterates Commitment to West Bengal
Concluding the review meeting, Chouhan reiterated the Centre’s commitment to working closely with the West Bengal government to accelerate development across sectors.
He said the initiatives announced during the meeting reflect a comprehensive strategy aimed at improving infrastructure, modernising agriculture, strengthening rural livelihoods and expanding employment opportunities.
According to the minister, successful implementation of these projects would help transform West Bengal into one of India’s major growth engines while contributing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed and self-reliant India.
Officials said the coming months will focus on removing implementation bottlenecks, improving Centre-state coordination and ensuring that the announced projects move from planning to execution within defined timelines.
