The Centre is set to resume key rural development, agriculture, health and education schemes in West Bengal following the Assembly poll results, with senior officials stating that long-standing trust deficit issues between the state and central governments have now been resolved.
The election outcome has brought renewed focus on the Centre’s flagship schemes for rural development, Panchayati Raj, health and education, several of which could not be fully implemented earlier due to resistance from the previous West Bengal government.
A senior officer from the Ministry said there had been significant trust deficit issues between the state and central governments, but these concerns have now been addressed.
Senior officials expressed relief as their respective ministries are now expected to move forward with flagship initiatives such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the health scheme Ayushman Bharat, and various Panchayati Raj initiatives.
“There were serious trust issues between the state and central governments,” stated a senior officer from the Panchayati Raj Ministry. “The state government feared that data would be used to portray Bengal, a non-BJP ruled state, negatively. But these political challenges also led to real obstacles. The lack of data hindered the government’s planning and implementation efforts,” he added.
Former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had opposed certain schemes, citing conditions related to Prime Minister branding and central control, as well as the existence of similar state-run programmes. In response, the BJP-led central government accused the state of obstructing these initiatives.
One major flagship scheme of the Centre, PM-KISAN, launched in 2019, provides Rs 6,000 per annum in cash support to farm households. However, it could not initially be implemented because the West Bengal government did not share farmers’ data, and it was only rolled out in 2021-22.
Additionally, a flagship survey by the Panchayati Raj Ministry concerning panchayats across the country could not be conducted in West Bengal. The drone-based survey of village properties under the SVAMITVA scheme was also stalled as the state government did not grant consent.
Last year, the Panchayati Raj Ministry surveyed and collected detailed grassroots-level data based on 150 stated criteria from 2.6 lakh panchayats across the country. However, West Bengal was absent from the exercise.
The West Bengal government had also rejected the implementation of the Health Ministry’s Ayushman Bharat scheme and the Education Ministry’s National Education Policy. In response to the Centre’s allegations, the state claimed it had not rejected these schemes but had instead modified and replaced them to better suit local requirements.
Banerjee had countered by accusing the central government of withholding funds rightfully due to West Bengal. Consequently, the Centre halted funding, citing alleged irregularities in project implementation, while the state government claimed it was being politically targeted.
