Centre turns on West Bengal funds tap after Suvendu Adhikari’s Delhi visit

KOLKATA: Opening its purse strings for Bengal following chief minister Suvendu Adhikari’s maiden visit to New Delhi after assuming office on May 9, the Centre on Friday agreed to release Rs 39,000 crore for schemes under the Union water resources ministry. PM Narendra Modi, during his meeting with Adhikari, also assured of support in implementing central projects, many of which were stalled under the previous Trinamool Congress govt led by Mamata Banerjee.

“The Prime Minister assured utmost cooperation and support on behalf of the central govt in the economic development, industry development, employment creation and push for West Bengal,” Adhikari posted on his social media account after his meeting with Modi. He said the PM had informed him that Bengal’s development and progress remained one of the Centre’s top priorities.

The new phase of Centre-state cooperation, centered on welfare and development, paved the way for faster implementation of health and wellness centres under Ayushman Bharat, mohalla clinics, and kick-off of VB G-RAM G, assuring 125 days of wage employment per rural household, from July 1.

On Saturday, Union health minister J P Nadda will hold a virtual meeting with key officials of the state health department to set up Ayushman Arogya Mandir (health and wellness centres under Ayushman Bharat).

Adhikari reached Delhi on Thursday night and headed straight for a meeting with home minister Amit Shah at his residence. The CM had a detailed discussion on security parameters along the Bangladesh border and Shah provided him with ‘guidelines’ to curb infiltration, sources said. Adhikari also met President Droupadi Murmu and defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday.