West Bengal CM Calls Emergency Meeting with BDOs Over Delays in 125-Day Rural Employment Scheme

According to state secretariat sources, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) has received several complaints about the slow execution of the scheme at district and panchayat levels. Adhikari has consequently decided to seek a direct assessment from officials responsible for implementing it on the ground.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the headquarters of the state Panchayat Affairs and Rural Development Department in Salt Lake. State Panchayat Affairs and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh and Minister of State Santanu Pramanik are also expected to attend.

During the review, the Chief Minister is expected to seek block-wise and district-wise details of projects undertaken under the scheme. He will also ask BDOs to explain delays in certain areas and identify the reasons behind the reported implementation gaps.

Chief Minister seeks direct feedback from officials

The meeting follows an earlier review convened last week with departmental secretaries, principal secretaries and additional chief secretaries. Delays and inadequate progress in several blocks were among the issues discussed.

Following that meeting, Adhikari decided to interact directly with BDOs to obtain first-hand information about the scheme's implementation. A state secretariat source said the Chief Minister had also warned senior bureaucrats that negligence in executing the programme would not be tolerated.

New scheme provides 125 days of guaranteed employment

West Bengal was brought under the Centre's Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VG-RAM-G scheme, following the change of government after the Assembly elections earlier this year.

The new framework provides for 125 days of guaranteed rural employment annually, replacing the earlier provision of 100 days. The scheme became operational in West Bengal on July 1, 2026.

However, complaints regarding delays and inadequate implementation have continued to reach the CMO. State secretariat sources said the Chief Minister had decided to personally intervene and review the programme's progress in response to the reported shortcomings.