Mamata launches Banglar Bari Phase-II, inaugurates Ghatal Master Plan

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched the second phase of the ‘Banglar Bari’ project and inaugurated the Ghatal Master Plan at a government distribution programme held at Singur in Hooghly.

Under the ‘Banglar Bari’ scheme, the state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 1.20 lakh each to 20 lakh beneficiaries, involving a total expenditure of Rs 24,000 crore to be borne entirely from the state exchequer. In the first phase, 12 lakh beneficiaries have already received benefits, with the state spending Rs 14,400 crore.

Banerjee also inaugurated the Ghatal Master Plan, estimated at Rs 1,500 crore, aimed at providing long-term relief to around 10 lakh flood-affected people in Ghatal and adjoining areas.

The project will cover seven blocks in West Midnapore—Ghatal, Daspur I, Daspur II, Chandrakona I, Chandrakona II, Keshpur and Debra—and four blocks in East Midnapore—Panskura I, Kolaghat, Moyna and Tamluk. The works include strengthening and raising river embankments over 50 km, dredging of rivers and canals across nearly 500 km, construction of two pump houses with a combined capacity of 200 cusec, 31 sluice gates, three regulators, 104 new bridges and the expansion of one existing bridge.

According to the state government, enhanced navigability of rivers and canals will help prevent flooding. The sluice gates and regulators will restrict floodwater from entering human settlements and agricultural land, while rainwater will be channelised into rivers through pump houses to reduce inundation. The construction of bridges is expected to improve connectivity in the region.

At the event, the Chief Minister inaugurated 1,077 projects across 28 government departments worth Rs 5,694 crore and laid the foundation stone for 616 projects amounting to Rs 2,183 crore. She also flagged off 50 new vehicles under the Sufal Bangla project.

Health sector projects worth Rs 472 crore were inaugurated, including a major initiative titled Unnata Susastha, with an estimated cost of Rs 3,700 crore. The project will be implemented between 2026 and 2031 with financial assistance from the World Bank. Banerjee also laid the foundation stone for 14 additional health projects valued at Rs 304 crore.

Several projects under the Irrigation and Waterways Department and the Water Resources Investigation and Development Department were also inaugurated, while foundation stones were laid for others.

The Chief Minister also marked the commencement of the release of Rs 80 crore under the Bangla Shasya Bima scheme and distributed various forms of assistance to farmers under multiple Agriculture Department programmes.