Suvendu Adhikari: PMAY, Farm Schemes Get Big Boost

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday said the Centre has approved a series of major initiatives aimed at strengthening rural development, housing and agriculture in the state, following discussions with Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Addressing the media, the Chief Minister said one lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) have been sanctioned even before the completion of beneficiary verification, reflecting the Centre's commitment to ensuring timely housing assistance.

He also announced that Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved the establishment of four new agricultural training centres and laboratories for crop identification, soil inspection and agricultural research across West Bengal. Several additional proposals of the Agriculture Department have also received approval.

The Chief Minister said discussions focused on enhancing support for farmers beyond the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi. He added that the Union Minister has guided officials on sourcing quality potato seeds from Punjab and jute seeds from Andhra Pradesh to improve agricultural productivity in the state.

On rural employment, Suvendu Adhikari said Shivraj Singh Chouhan has directed officials to identify eligible beneficiaries for 125 days of employment by validating job cards in addition to the existing 2.56 crore cards.

The Chief Minister further stated that, responding to the state's request, the Centre has extended the deadline for preparing the beneficiary list under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana from July 20 to August 15, allowing more eligible families to be included in the scheme.

He described the decisions as a significant boost to West Bengal's rural development efforts, saying the approvals would strengthen housing, agriculture and livelihood opportunities across the state.