Mamata to review progress work of 4 departments

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hold a review meeting on Thursday to take stock of the progress undertaken by four major departments that directly deal with benefits of people at the grassroots level.

It is learnt that the meeting has been convened to once again ensure that benefits of the ongoing projects and beneficiary schemes reach the people on time.

These four departments are Panchayat and Rural Development department, Food and Supplies department, Agriculture department and Agriculture Marketing department. Ministers and senior officials of all the departments will attend the meeting that will be held at Nabanna Sabhaghar from 1 pm onwards. The Chief Secretary and other senior officials of the state government will also be in the meeting.

According to sources at the state Secretariat, all the District Magistrates have already been informed to be present. Additional District Magistrates (Zila Parishad) will also be present in the meeting. It is learnt that the Additional District Magistrates (Zila Parishad) have been asked to be present in the meeting as there will be discussions on implementation of the projects and schemes in the Panchayat areas.

The meeting will also act as a platform for the exchange of views between representatives of the districts and officials of the Panchayat and Rural Development department on implementation of work in Panchayat areas, said an official.

Besides officials from districts, the top brass of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) will also be present in the meeting.

The state Food and Supplies department plays a major role in the procurement of

paddy from the farmers and at the same time, it plays a major role in the distribution of the same. The Mamata Banerjee government had introduced the Khadya Sathi Scheme under which more than 90 percent of the state's populace gets rice at Rs 2 per kg.

The Agriculture department has played a major role in improving the rural economy of the state by taking various steps following directions of the Chief Minister and ensured an increase in the average annual income of the farmers in Bengal to Rs 2.91 lakh in the last financial year. To ensure further improvement in the agriculture sector, a stock of the ongoing projects will be taken in the forthcoming review meeting and at the same time new proposals would also come up.

Similarly, the Agriculture Marketing department also plays a major role in supporting farmers to get the right price for their yield and various steps have been taken by the department so that they can directly sell their produce without the intervention of any middlemen.