Siliguri: Minister Dilip Ghosh assures honorarium hike for VRPs, focus on village development

Siliguri, 30th October: West Bengal Panchayat Minister Dilip Ghosh outlined several priorities, including a possible increase in the honorarium of Village Resource Persons (VRPs), boosting Gram Panchayat revenue and accelerating rural development works. He was speaking at the North Bengal convention of Sara Bangla Gramin Sampad Karmi Sangathan (SBGSKS), held at Dinabandhu Mancha in Siliguri on Friday. Minister of State for Panchayats Santanu Pramanik was also present at the event.

Addressing the gathering, Dilip Ghosh said the honorarium of Gram Panchayat workers had been increased after the state government came to power. He assured that the possibility of a further hike would be considered in the future. However, he also stressed that workers must fulfil their responsibilities properly alongside any increase in their honorarium.

The Panchayat Minister directed officials and workers to ensure the speedy and smooth implementation of various state government schemes. He also said that efforts would be made to accelerate work under the Jiramji project.

Ghosh assured that several development projects would be undertaken across villages over the next five months. He also emphasised increasing the independent revenue of Gram Panchayats through various activities in rural areas, stating that expanding development work would help strengthen their financial position.

Urging VRPs to perform their duties with dedication, he said the government would also consider their concerns. He called for coordinated efforts between the government and workers to strengthen rural development.

On the Awas Yojana, Ghosh said approximately 55 lakh applications had been received under the scheme. He claimed that many of these applications were fraudulent and would be excluded after verification.

He also assured that recruitment processes would be completed quickly to address staff shortages in different areas.

The convention highlighted the state government’s stated priorities of accelerating rural development, increasing Gram Panchayat revenue and ensuring that government projects are completed within the stipulated time.