Tag: Panchayat & Rural Development

Bengal aims to build additional 1,200 km of rural roads

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Road connectivity in the rural areas is one of the biggest priorities of the state government. The Panchayat and Rural Development department submitting a Detailed Project report (DPR) for the construction of 1,200 km of rural roads to the Centre for clearance.

Bengal shows the way

Incidentally, West Bengal had bagged the award for best construction of rural roads under Pradhan Matri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in the year 2013-14. The target was to build 2,010 km of rural roads and by March 2014 the department had constructed 2,714 km.

The Panchayat and Rural Development department had constructed 10,575 km road in the year 2011-16 March, against 10,690 km road constructed by the erstwhile Left Front government between the years 2001-11.

Economic hardship

The Centre has drastically reduced the fund under PMGSY. Earlier it used to bear cent per cent cost and the state government had to maintain the roads. Now, the Centre’s share has come down to 60 per cent and the state government has to dish out 40 per cent of the cost along with maintenance of the roads. But despite the economic hardship, the state government is going ahead and improving road connectivity.

Because of improvement in rural connectivity, rural economy has improved and earning of every household has gone up.

 

The image is representative

 

বাংলার লক্ষ্য আরও ১২০০ কিমি গ্রামীণ সড়ক নির্মাণ

গ্রামাঞ্চলে সড়ক সংযোগ রাজ্য সরকারের সবচেয়ে বড় অগ্রাধিকার। ১২০০ কিমি গ্রামীণ সড়ক নির্মাণের অনুমোদনের জন্য পঞ্চায়েত ও গ্রামোন্নয়ন বিভাগ একটি বিস্তারিত প্রকল্পের রিপোর্ট (ডিপিআর) জমা করেছে।

বাংলাই পথপ্রদর্শক

উল্লেখ্য, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ ২০১৩-১৪ সালে প্রধানমন্ত্রী গ্রাম সড়ক যোজনার (PMGSY) অধীনে গ্রামীণ সড়ক নির্মাণের জন্য শ্রেষ্ঠ পুরস্কার পেয়েছে। লক্ষ্য ছিল ২,০১০ কিমি গ্রামীণ সড়ক নির্মাণ এবং ২০১৪ সালের মার্চ মাসের মধ্যে এই দপ্তর ২,৭১৪ কিমি সড়ক নির্মাণ করেছে।

পঞ্চায়েত ও গ্রামোন্নয়ন বিভাগ ২০১১-১৬ সালের মার্চ মাসের মধ্যে ১০,৫৭৫ কিলোমিটার সড়ক নির্মাণ করেছে। ২০০১-১১ সালের মধ্যে পূর্বতন বামফ্রন্ট সরকার ১০,৬৯০ কিলোমিটার সড়ক নির্মাণ করেছিল।

অর্থনৈতিক দুরবস্থা

কেন্দ্র প্রধানমন্ত্রী গ্রাম সড়ক যোজনার তহবিল অনেক কমিয়ে দিয়েছে। অতীতে কেন্দ্রীয় সরকার এই প্রকল্পের পুরো খরচ বহন করত এবং রাজ্যের কাজ ছিল শুধু সড়ক রক্ষণাবেক্ষণ করা। কিন্তু এখন সড়ক রক্ষণাবেক্ষণ সহ ব্যয়ের শতকরা হার কেন্দ্রকে ৬০ শতাংশ এবং রাজ্যকে ৪০ শতাংশ হিসেবে বণ্টন করা হয়েছে। কিন্তু আর্থিক দুরবস্থা থাকা সত্ত্বেও রাজ্য সরকার সড়ক যোগাযোগ ব্যবস্থা উন্নত করার লক্ষ্যে এগিয়ে চলেছে।

গ্রামীণ সড়ক সংযোগ ব্যবস্থা উন্নয়নের জন্য, গ্রামীণ অর্থনীতির উন্নতি হয়েছে এবং প্রত্যেক পরিবারের আয় বেড়েছে।

 

Rural Development: World Bank to aid West Bengal Govt

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The West Bengal Government is soon to get financial aid worth Rs 3,000 crore from the World Bank for panchayati raj development schemes. This would cover a thousand more panchayats.

This comes after the earlier tranche of $200 million for the same purpose. According to the World Bank, the state has completed 98% of the projected work, in lieu of the earlier tranche, on certain parameters, against a target of 80%, by the end of last year.

The World Bank has heaped praise on the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led State Government for the successful developmental work done in the panchayats. The work has been held up as a model for other States to follow.

With the new aid, the State Government would execute projects in the districts of Purulia, Bankura and Paschim Medinipur.

The earlier projects have helped the gram panchayats in generating more revenue, in increasing the revenue of panchayats by around 24%.

 

গ্রামীণ উন্নয়নে রাজ্য সরকারকে সাহায্য বিশ্ব ব্যাঙ্কের

গ্রামোন্নয়ন প্রকল্পের জন্য খুব শীঘ্রই পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকার বিশ্ব ব্যাঙ্কের কাছ থেকে ৩০০০ কোটি টাকা সাহায্য পেতে চলেছে। এক হাজারেরও বেশি পঞ্চায়েত এই প্রকল্পের আওতায় আসবে।

বিশ্ব ব্যাঙ্কের রিপোর্ট অনুযায়ী রাজ্য প্রকল্পের ৯৮% কাজ সম্পূর্ণ করে ফেলেছে।

পঞ্চায়েতের উন্নয়নমূলক কাজের জন্য মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় পরিচালিত রাজ্য সরকারের প্রশংসা করেছে বিশ্ব ব্যাঙ্ক। নিঃসন্দেহে রাজ্যের এই কাজ অন্যান্য রাজ্যের কাছে একটি মডেল।

এই নতুন আর্থিক সাহায্যের মাধ্যমে রাজ্য সরকার পুরুলিয়া, বাঁকুড়া ও পশ্চিম মেদিনীপুরে বেশ কিছু নতুন প্রকল্প শুরু করবে।

এই প্রকল্প গুলি গ্রাম পঞ্চায়েতের রাজস্ব বৃদ্ধিতে সহায়তা করবে, পঞ্চায়েতের প্রায় ২৪% রাজস্ব বৃদ্ধি পাবে এর মাধ্যমে।

WB CM felicitates self help groups run by women at Anandadhara Sammelan

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West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee today felicitated self help groups (SHG) run by women at the Anandadhara Sammelan 2015 organised at Netaji Indoor Stadium. The programme was organised by the State Panchayat & Rural Development Department.

The Chief Minister said that the government was providing subsidy of 30% to the SHGs. She called upon all banks to provide financial assistance to these SHGs as they were the future of the country.

Taking pride in the achievements of the SHGs she said that of late a lot of scope for selling their products have come up with so many festivals and events organised by the government. The Chief Minister said that in future the products of SHGs will go global with Biswa Bangla.

Mamata Banerjee slammed the Centre for stopping the funding of several social sector projects like mid-day meal, ICDS, police modernisation among others. She rued the fact that she had to pay for the sins of the Left Front Government.

“The Prime Minister should immediately call a meeting of CMs. Earlier we voiced our concern at Planning Commission. It has been disbanded. Niti Ayog is na idhar ka na udhar ka. If I don’t get funds how will I carry on with developmental projects,” she added.

Around 1000 active SHGs were provided with onetime financial assistance at today’s programme. Fifty one cooperatives were also felicitated and one-time financial assistance was provided to them.

The Government also felicitated the cooperatives who have met with success post the RSETI training.

Today, three districts were awarded for their successful initiatives in providing assistance to the SHGs run by women. A documentary made on SHGs was also be screened today.

 

Mobile Monitoring System using GIS to cover all panchayats in Bengal

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The West Bengal Government is setting up Mobile Monitoring System using GIS for keeping an eye on the works being done at all the panchayats. This android phone-based monitoring system is already in place in one thousand panchayats and will be applicable within one year in the rest 2349 panchayats.

Through this system, the Panchayat Minister and the officials of the State Secretariat at Nabanna will be able to monitor the works of the district officials based in the rural areas.

The State Government will provide android-based mobile phones to all the district officials responsible for panchayat development. The officers of the panchayat department are now visiting rural areas to train the panchayat workers to upload the developmental progress details through their mobile phones every 15 days.

From now on, the rural officials have to upload pictures of every projects undertaken by the panchayats at regular intervals, including those of Gram Sabhas. The pictures and records will be uploaded on the Panchayat department website and will thus be accessible from any part of the world.

WB Govt increases payment for MGNREGA workers in the State

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The West Bengal Government is increasing the payment for the workers to take part in MGNREGA. This was decided by the state employment guarantee council.

“There was no concept of any increment for workers under the MGNREGA. This is for the first time we have decided that all workers will get a yearly increment payment of three percent. And those who have worked for more than six years will first get an increment of five percent and then three per cent,” Subrata Mukherjee, State Panchayat and Rural Development Minister said.

The Minister also said that the Union Government is delaying release of money for work done under projects under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in West Bengal in order to harm them.

“The Centre is delaying the release of money for work done under many centrally-sponsored schemes. So we are unable to make payments to people who have worked. And, people who are not getting the payments will lose the zeal to work and eventually will not go for work,” the Minister said.

“In the last financial year, after six months of work, the Union Government had almost stopped releasing money for which we could not make payments and was forced to stop the work at peak time of the year,” he said, adding, that around “Rs.1,900 crore was due from the Centre”.

“The Centre paid us the due amount not in the last year and it was exhausted while paying the outstanding amounts. We are yet to get another Rs.450 crore,” Mukherjee said.

Self Help Groups brought under Social Security in Bengal

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The West Bengal Chief Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee took an innovative measure to help the ordinary people of the State.  While her decision to reach out to the unorganised and transport workers, street hawkers have been well appreciated, now, the State Government has decided to include the ‘Self Help Groups’ across the State Social Security Scheme.

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee expressed that a lot of young boys and girls work in these organisations and the State must reach out to them for their welfare.

Earlier, the Self Help Groups of the State, which mainly comprised of women, did not get the benefits of the ongoing Social Security Schemes.

An exchequer worth Rs 100 Crore is being created by the Government to give loan to these groups who have difficulties in getting loans from recognised banks.  The loans given out by these banks normally come with a high rate of interest of 400%, whereas the State Government will give loans at 200% interest with the rest as subsidy.

After a meeting with various departments of the Government like Panchayat & Rural Development, MSME and other various Government officials, this scheme has been drawn up. Along with easy loans, the Government is also creating a fund worth Rs 60 Crore wherein people working in these organisations will get monetary help in case they meet with accidents while at work or become ill. Rs 1 Lakh will be given in case of accidental deaths or handicapped while at work and Rs 40000 if the person falls ill.

On reaching the age of 60, they will get an ex gratia amount between Rs 1-2 Lakh. For this the individual workers would be required to pay Rs 30 only per year. The Accounts Department of the State Government has been instructed to draw a plan so that from May 2015 onwards enrollment for this Scheme can be started. Over 50 Lakh Self Help Groups in the State will benefit from this Scheme.