Kolkata, November 16, 2023

The Union Minister of state for Education Dr Subhas Sarkar flagged off the well-decorated Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra (VBSY) vans today from Bankura. The vans with photographs depicting the welfare schemes of the Union Government will roam in the adjacent areas to make more people aware of the benefits of the Central schemes so as to add to the number of beneficiaries in respective schemes, stated Dr Sarkar after flagging off the vans at Bankura.

In another event at Jhargram, today, Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra van was flagged off from Jhargram by Shri R K Jena, Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in presence of the State Nodal Officer for VBSY, Shri Rajiv Bhattacharya; Akash Sharma DDM, Ranjit Dutta, LDM among others.

The focus of the Yatra will be on reaching out to people and creating awareness and providing benefits of welfare schemes like sanitation facilities, essential financial services, electricity connections, access to LPG cylinders, housing for the poor, food security, proper nutrition, reliable healthcare, clean drinking water, etc. Enrolment of potential beneficiaries will be done through details ascertained during the Yatra.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the VBSY on Wednesday (November 15, 2023) , a nationwide programme aimed at reaching out to citizens who are eligible for various central schemes but have not benefited so far. He flagged off five specially designed IEC (Information, Education and Communication) vans from Khunti to mark the launch of the Yatra. Similar vans were flagged off from other districts across the country having significant tribal populations.

The VBSY was duly organised in North Bengal also at Kalchini Gram Panchayat area of Alipurduar.

In another programme at Purulia Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas was solemnly observed at Shanka village under Raghunathpur-1 Block of the district. A sit and Draw competition for children was organised where many school-children participated. Besides, a football tournament was also organised amongst the local youths. Shri Vivekananda Bauri, the MLA of Raghunathpur inaugurated the tournament.

Shri Modi on Wednesday addressed a special programme at Khunti, Jharkhand marking the celebrations of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, 2023, where he launched the VBSY  and Pradhan Mantri Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups Development Mission. He also released the 15th instalment of PM-KISAN. Shri Modi also laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects in Jharkhand worth Rs 7200 crores in multiple sectors like rail, road, education, Coal, Petroleum and Natural Gas. He also took a walkthrough of the exhibition showcased on the occasion.

*********************

SSS/16.11.23/