Kolkata, June 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit West Bengal on Saturday, with his first event taking place in Tarakeshwar, located about 62 kilometers from Kolkata. Here, he will participate in the “West Bengal Day” celebrations, launching several central government schemes and laying the foundation for development projects.
The choice of Tarakeshwar as the event venue is steeped in historical significance. On April 15, 1947, the All India Hindu Mahasabha convened here, granting Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the authority to take necessary steps for the partition of Bengal.
At that time, the then Prime Minister of Bengal, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, aimed to incorporate the entire region into Pakistan, given the Muslim majority. Dr. Mukherjee opposed this move, writing to the then Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, demanding that even if India was not partitioned, Bengal should be divided to prevent the Hindu-majority areas from becoming part of Pakistan.
This historical backdrop influenced Prime Minister Modi’s decision to celebrate West Bengal Day from Tarakeshwar. This year’s theme is “West Bengal: Heritage, Harmony, and Development.”
During the event, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation for multiple development projects related to railways, agriculture, rural development, fisheries, and animal husbandry. These initiatives aim to strengthen infrastructure, increase farmers’ incomes, and accelerate socio-economic development in the state.
Additionally, Prime Minister Modi will release the 23rd installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. This will transfer over ₹18,880 crores directly into the accounts of more than 9.44 crore farmers across the country.
More than 45 lakh farmers in West Bengal will receive over ₹900 crores, bringing the total amount distributed under this scheme in the state to over ₹15,000 crores. Nationwide, the total distribution since 2019 will exceed ₹4.46 lakh crores.
The Prime Minister will also launch several key central agricultural schemes in West Bengal, including the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, AgriStack under the Digital Agriculture Mission, the National Mission for Natural Farming, and the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhan Yojana.
Under the crop insurance scheme, approximately 50 lakh farmers and 14 lakh hectares of agricultural land in the state will receive insurance coverage for the 2026-27 fiscal year, protecting crops worth around ₹28,140 crores.
Through AgriStack, farmers will gain access to an integrated digital platform for services such as fertilizer distribution, farmer credit cards, direct benefit transfers (DBT), and purchases at minimum support prices (MSP).
The National Mission for Natural Farming will develop 346 natural farming clusters across 17,300 hectares in the state. Bio-input resource centers will be established, and eco-friendly farming will be promoted through the “Krishi Sakhi” network.
Furthermore, the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhan Yojana will include the districts of Purulia, Darjeeling, Alipurduar, and Jhargram. This initiative aims to enhance agricultural productivity, promote crop diversification, strengthen irrigation and storage facilities, improve farmers’ access to institutional credit, and accelerate rural development through better coordination of various central and state government schemes.
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