Kolkata, Aug. 4 -- The state Panchayats and Rural Development (P&RD) Department has launched an awareness campaign and is distributing booklets among Panchayat functionaries to encourage greater participation in the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G), which was rolled out in West Bengal in July.

"The efficiency level of workers under the rural employment programme in Bengal has declined as there was no work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the state for four years after the Centre stopped funds following allegations of large-scale irregularities. Last month, experts from the Centre conducted a four-day training programme for our officials. We will now create awareness among panchayat functionaries so that they can involve more people in VB-G RAM G," State Panchayats and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh said after chairing a review meeting on the progress of rural housing, rural employment, the Swachh Bharat Mission and other schemes in South 24-Parganas.

Following the change in government, MGNREGS resumed on June 9 under the 100-day employment scheme. From July 1, it was replaced by the 125-day employment programme, VB-G RAM G, in line with the nationwide transition.

"There have been certain changes in the provisions of VB-G RAM G that will ensure higher income for job card holders," Ghosh said.

According to administrative sources, work under the new scheme has already commenced in at least 2,600 of West Bengal's 3,339 Gram Panchayats.

Employment opportunities for job card holders will be generated through convergence with 23 state government departments, including Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing, Animal Resources Development, Backward Classes Welfare, Food Processing Industries, Fisheries, Forest, Health and Family Welfare, Irrigation and Waterways and School Education. The state government has also issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlining how the convergence model will be implemented. According to the SOP, the objective is to maximise the utilisation of government resources and create durable community assets through coordinated planning among departments. It also specifies the areas in which each department will collaborate under the scheme.

Sources in Nabanna said that since work resumed, the programme has generated 1.15 crore person-days of employment across the state.

A State-Level Steering Committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, has been constituted to oversee convergence among various departments.

Ghosh also said that his department has undertaken a survey to identify beneficiaries who had allegedly availed of benefits under the Awas Yojana illegally during the previous Trinamool Congress regime.

"We will recover the siphoned money from such beneficiaries, and if they fail to return it, we will initiate legal action," Ghosh said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.