Kolkata, Oct. 23 -- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday announced Rs 342 crore for Jhargram's development and launched a doorstep nutrition programme for Lodha-Sabar families, underlining the BJP government's focus on tribal communities in Junglemahal.
Adhikari, speaking at Kalajharia Village near Manikpara, said the nutrition initiative would provide essential food items to vulnerable families to improve food security and address malnutrition.
The package includes rice, pulses, edible oil, soybeans and ragi, with biometric verification planned to ensure that benefits reach the intended recipients. The scheme is expected to cover around 70,000 families in Jhargram and neighbouring West Midnapore districts, with 25,000 families in Jhargram and 45,000 in West Midnapore.
Adhikari announced that Rs 342 crore would be spent on roads, culverts, solar-powered lighting and community halls across Jhargram district. The measures are aimed at improving basic infrastructure and living conditions in the tribal-dominated region. Adhikari's visit to Kalajharia carried a political and personal significance.During the Assembly election campaign, Adhikari had visited the Lodha-Sabar settlement and promised to return if the BJP came to power. On Friday, he fulfilled that pledge with the launch of the programme.
The initiative focuses on welfare delivery to particularly vulnerable tribal groups, combining nutritional support with infrastructure development and access to existing welfare schemes.
The announcements place tribal welfare and last-mile delivery at the centre of the state government's outreach in Junglemahal, where development, livelihoods and access to basic services remain key concerns.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.