Abdarpur, Birbhum, August 7, 2026

 

Press Information Bureau (PIB), Kolkata today organised a Vartalaap, the media workshop at Abdarpur, Birbhum, to strengthen awareness on major flagship initiatives of the Union Government, including Ayushman Bharat, Census 2027, Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Grameen) [VB-G RAM G] Act, 2025 and financial inclusion initiatives. The programme brought together Government officials, media representatives and stakeholders to facilitate dialogue on key public welfare initiatives and their effective dissemination among the citizens.

Addressing the gathering, Director General (East Zone), Press Information Bureau, Shri T. V. K. Reddy, underscored the growing importance of authentic information in the age of social media. He highlighted PIB's role in disseminating verified government information, translating, official content into regional languages and providing backgrounders to facilitate informed reporting. He also emphasised PIB's role during crisis communication, the significance of the PIB Fact Check initiative in combating misinformation and the importance of Vartalaap in connecting with grassroots journalists, addressing their queries and promoting effective development communication.

The Minister for Agriculture, Government of West Bengal, Shri Dudh Kumar Mondal inaugurated the workshop today. He highlighted the transformative potential of the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 in accelerating rural development and generating sustainable livelihoods. He also stressed the importance of efficient implementation of government schemes for improving the rural economy and underlined the need for easy access to institutional credit for farmers. He emphasised on the availability of fertilisers at Maximum Retail Price (MRP), promotion of modern agricultural technologies and expansion of irrigation infrastructure to enhance agricultural productivity.

Speaking on Ayushman Bharat, Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH), Birbhum, Dr. Subhabrata Ghosh, informed that 27.58 lakh beneficiaries in the district would be covered under the scheme. He announced that Ayushman Bharat card distribution would commence from August 16,  while Ayushman Bharat Week would be observed from August 8 to 15, featuring health check-up camps, awareness rallies, marathons, school health camps and mobile health services. He also stressed the importance of HPV vaccination, urging people not to be misled by misinformation. Dr. Ghosh also emphasised maternal health, reduction of maternal mortality, adolescent health, prevention of child marriage and the digitisation of health records through the ABHA Card.

Lead Bank Manager, UCO Bank, Birbhum, Shri Niraj Kumar, projected the role of financial inclusion in empowering citizens. He spoke about the benefits of Basic Savings Bank Accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri SVANidhi Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana. He emphasised on the importance of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and informed that 25.80 lakh Jan Dhan accounts have been opened in Birbhum district, including around 20,000 new accounts added recently.

Highlighting the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, Superintending Engineer & Regional Manager, WBSEDCL, Birbhum Region, Shri Parimal Sarkar, said the scheme has been implemented in West Bengal from 15 May 2026 with the objective of promoting rooftop solar energy. He informed that households can register through pm suryaghar.gov.in to avail subsidy of up to ₹78,000 for rooftop solar installations. He stated that 42,828 applications have been received across West Bengal with an installed capacity of 8.52 MW, while 2,715 applications have been received from Birbhum district. He added that Birbhum possesses significant potential for solar energy generation due to its high solar irradiance.

Speaking on the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, District Nodal Officer, Birbhum, Shri Subhajit Jana, highlighted that the programme aims to strengthen rural livelihoods through sustainable development works. He emphasised on the water conservation, irrigation development and natural resource management that requires to remain priority areas under the programme and called for a collaborative approach among government agencies and local communities to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat through comprehensive rural development.

In her welcome address, the Assistant Director, Press Information Bureau, Kolkata, Smt. Srijata Saha Sahoo, highlighted the importance of Vartalap as a platform for strengthening communication between the Government and grassroots media. She spoke about the changing dynamics of journalism, the increasing speed of news dissemination in the digital era and the importance of using authentic government sources, including the PIB website, for accurate reporting.

The interactive session enabled participants and media representatives to engage directly with subject experts and clarify queries related to the implementation of various flagship schemes. The programme reaffirmed the role of PIB Vartalaap in promoting informed public discourse, combating misinformation and ensuring the effective dissemination of development-oriented government initiatives at the grassroots level.
 

 

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