Kolkata: Bengal has won the prime award on Convergence and Livelihood Augmentation for the third consecutive time in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) National Award which was announced in New Delhi on August 31.
The state has bagged seven national awards that will be handed over during a function at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on September 11.
Congratulating the Panchayats and Rural Development department for the extraordinary performance, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee posted on her Facebook page: "I am very happy to share with all of you that Bengal has again emerged No. 1 in the country for Convergence and Livelihood Augmentation under 100-days work scheme, as announced by the Govt of India. This is 3 times in a row that we have bagged this prestigious distinction.
Purba Burdwan and Coochbehar districts are among top districts in the country for effective implementation of 100 days' work scheme. Bengal has also stood 2nd in the country in Water Conservation sector, the awards for which are being announced for the first time. Upper Bagdogra GP of Naxalbari Block near Siliguri has ranked among the best performing Gram Panchayats in the country for 100 days' work. My heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all."
The award demolishes the allegation made by BJP national president Amit Shah that the funds allotted by the Narendra Modi government for rural development have been siphoned off by the syndicates.
Bengal is only second to Kerala in another award instituted in 2018 on Mission Water Conservation.
Two districts, Purba Bardhaman (East Burdwan) and Cooch Behar have received awards in the district level along with 16 other districts in the country.
One Gram Rojgar Sahayak (GRS) from Malda has won the award as the MSE (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Spatial Enumerator) for Geo MGNREGA.
Siliguri's Lower Bagdogra Gram Panchayat has won an honour for the overall performance in the GP category. One ED Postmaster from Cooch Behar has been selected in the postal service category as well.
In 2017, the performance of Bengal in 100 days' work scheme was remarkable. 131. 23 crore man-days were created which put Bengal far ahead of its competitors. Every family was given 60 days' work on an average which was highest in the country. The state took a leading role in coordination among various departments in implementing the 100 days' work scheme.
It may be mentioned that after coming to power in 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took special interest to develop the villages. Road connectivity was improved and schemes to supply filtered water in every household were taken up. Special emphasis was laid on the implementation of the 100 days' work scheme.
In the administrative review meetings, Banerjee, while speaking to the District Magistrates, sub-divisional officers and Block development officers inquired about the performance of the districts in the matter and pulled them up if deadlines were flouted.
The Panchayats and Rural Development department had taken up the Nirmal Bangla Mission much before the Swachh Bharat Mission was announced by the Centre and already 12 districts have been declared as Open Defecation Free (ODF). Attempts are now being made to declare all the 23 districts as ODF by December 31, much ahead of the deadline.