KOLKATA, Dec. 20 -- Within days of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's announcement, the state government has renamed its Karmashree project, associated with 100 days of work, as 'Mahatma Shree' in honor of the Father of the Nation. Banerjee had announced the rechristening during the Business and Industry Conclave on Thursday, following the passage of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) or G RAM G Bill 2025 in the Lok Sabha, which replaces the MGNREGA scheme. Speaking at the conclave, she said, "I am ashamed that Mahatma Gandhi's name has been removed from the NREGA scheme. Our Karmashree scheme, initiated after the Centre stopped disbursing NREGA funds in Bengal, will be named after Mahatma Gandhi."
The notification states that the Karmashree project, launched on March 7, 2024, provides employment opportunities to rural unskilled labourers holding MGNREGA job cards through various state government departments. Implemented across districts from the 2024-25 financial year, the project ensures at least 100 days of wage-based work annually for every job cardholder family. Effective from December 20, 2025, the newly named 'Mahatma Shree' project continues to operate entirely with state resources, as the Centre has not provided NREGA funds in Bengal for the past four years. Banerjee emphasized, "Even if central funds are stopped, we will ensure people get work. We are not beggars; we only want respect. If you do not give respect, we will give respect."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.