Bengal CM inaugurates nutrition support scheme for tribal families

PTI, Oct 23, 2026, Jhargram : >Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday inaugurated his government's nutrition support scheme for eligible tribal families, under which they would be provided rice, pulses, cooking oil and soya chunks every week. 

"This special drive will be in addition to the ration scheme under the PM Annasurakhya Yojana, aimed at ensuring that no one from the tribal communities is deprived of nutritious food," he said. 

The scheme to provide nutrition and food security to families belonging to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) was announced by the state government in this year's budget. It would benefit 70,000 families in Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur districts, the chief minister said at a government event at Kalajharia, a village in Jhargram dominated by the Lodha-Sabar tribal community. 

"We had announced a special drive in Jhargram to ensure nutrition and food security for families belonging to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in the budget. Today, I am inaugurating it from here. There will be biometric verification to make sure that not a single eligible family is deprived of the scheme's benefit," Adhikari said. 

He told the gathering that the monthly old-age pension for Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries had been increased to Rs 1,500. Moreover, two lakh students in Jhargram would receive Scheduled Tribe scholarships of Rs 800 each, he said.

Highlighting the government's development plans for the region, he said tribal universities would be set up in Bankura and Jhargram. Rs 342 crore has been allocated for Jhargram, and the district magistrate has been directed to ensure comprehensive development of the district within six months, Adhikari said.

Taking a swipe at the previous government, he alleged that it had not allowed the implementation of several Central government schemes, and claimed that the former chief minister had spent only Rs 6 crore on development work across the state's western region.

Adhikari said the 'Adivasi Mahila Samriddhi Yojana' would launch soon and assured people of 125 days of guaranteed employment. Those seeking job cards would be issued new ones, he added.