The West Bengal government has launched the Centre’s Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups scheme in Jhargram, announcing additional weekly rations for the state’s Lodha, Birhor and Toto communities along with a proposed ₹342 crore package for roads, streetlights and community halls in the district.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari made the announcements during his visit to Kalajhariya, a hamlet inhabited by the Lodha-Sabar community in the Manikpara gram panchayat area. The launch extends the PVTG scheme across Bengal and places Jhargram at the centre of the state government’s latest tribal development push.
Adhikari said the additional ration support would supplement existing state and central schemes. The announcement is aimed at three communities classified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, although the report did not specify the quantity, delivery schedule or administrative mechanism for the additional weekly allocation.
The chief minister also said ₹342 crore had been earmarked for Jhargram for roads, streetlights and community halls. These projects would address basic infrastructure in a district where access to transport, public facilities and essential services remains a central concern for settlements spread across forested and rural areas. The report did not provide project-wise estimates, tender timelines or completion dates.
At the state level, the 2026–27 budget has allocated ₹1,610.85 crore to the Paschimanchal unnayan affairs department for the development of Jangal Mahal. The area covers West Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura and Jhargram, besides a few blocks in Birbhum. The allocation is intended for development work across the region, but the report did not identify how much of it has been released or committed so far.
Housing implementation was another focus of the announcement. Adhikari alleged that the previous Trinamool Congress government had allowed irregularities in the Banglar Bari housing scheme, including payments to ineligible beneficiaries. He said the scheme had been renamed the Paschim Banga Awas Yojana by the current government.
According to figures cited by the chief minister, the first instalment of ₹60,000 had earlier been released to 26,600 people. After a fresh survey, he said, 17,983 beneficiaries had received a second instalment of ₹60,000 each. These figures were presented by the chief minister and were not independently verified in the report.
The government has also adopted the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, a central programme launched on October 2, 2024, for socio-economic development in tribal-majority villages. Adhikari said Jhargram had been included in a special focus zone under the Union home ministry and that proposals worth ₹121 crore had been submitted under the Comprehensive Integrated Development Plan. The proposals cover healthcare, electricity, drinking water and animal husbandry.
The proposed projects place basic service delivery alongside political outreach in the district. The Bharatiya Janata Party won all four Assembly seats in Jhargram and all 16 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates across Bengal in the Assembly elections this year, according to the report. The government has also announced plans to establish tribal universities in Bankura and Jhargram.
The next steps will depend on the release of funds, approval of the Jhargram proposals and the identification and execution of individual infrastructure and housing projects. The government has not announced implementation deadlines for the ₹342 crore district package or the proposed tribal universities.
