Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday, 20 June 2026 hailed the launch of multiple central agriculture and rural development schemes in West Bengal, saying the event marked 'a sunrise of development' for the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the initiatives from Tarakeshwar in Hooghly district, covering four flagship agriculture programmes and rural road projects worth over ₹213.12 crore.

Context

Chouhan, posting on X in Hindi, described the occasion as 'जनकल्याण के एक नए युग का शुभारंभ' ('the beginning of a new era of public welfare'). He said PM Modi had gifted West Bengal a package of schemes linked to the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, calling it a 'historic occasion' that would give fresh momentum to farm-sector growth and rural infrastructure.

The minister specifically noted that West Bengal's farmers had 'for years been deprived of many central welfare schemes by the state's previous government' — a pointed reference to the Trinamool Congress administration, which has governed the state since 2011. Chouhan framed the launch as opening 'new doors of development, prosperity and self-reliance' for the state's farming community.

Policy Backdrop

Four agriculture ministry schemes were formally launched in West Bengal at the event. These are the Digital Agriculture Mission, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), the National Mission on Natural Farming, and the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Dhan-Dhanya Yojana. The PMFBY, introduced in 2016, provides risk coverage to farmers against crop losses from natural calamities and replaced the earlier National Agricultural Insurance Scheme.

On the rural infrastructure side, PM Modi dedicated 315.22 kilometres of new roads built at a cost of over ₹213.12 crore under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana Phase III (PMGSY-III). The PMGSY programme, initiated in 2000, aims to provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected rural habitations. Projects linked to railways, animal husbandry, and fisheries were also dedicated to the state at the same event.

The Digital Agriculture Mission and the National Mission on Natural Farming build on earlier central pushes — the former on agri-stack digital infrastructure and the latter on zero-budget natural farming pilots promoted since 2015–16.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are West Bengal's farming community and rural households, particularly in districts with historically low uptake of central schemes. Chouhan said the initiatives would 'strengthen rural infrastructure and bring positive change to the lives of lakhs of farmers and rural families.'

The launch carries political weight: the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee-led state government have had prolonged disputes over fund flow and implementation of central programmes, including delays in the rollout of PM-KISAN direct-benefit transfers in earlier years. By staging a high-profile event in the state, the Centre signals direct delivery of welfare benefits to citizens, bypassing the state-Centre friction narrative.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to state-level rollout timelines and actual fund utilisation for the newly launched schemes, particularly PMGSY road projects and crop-insurance enrolment under PMFBY ahead of the kharif 2026 season. Parliamentary questions on implementation progress in West Bengal are expected during the upcoming monsoon session. Chouhan framed the entire exercise as a step toward the broader 'Viksit Bharat' ('Developed India') vision, signalling that the Centre intends to sustain its focus on the state.