West Bengal government has launched Karmashree Scheme portal for jobless citizens on 14 June 2024. Under the Karmasree scheme, the state govt. will provide at-least 50 days of work to each job card holder. Read this article till the end to know how to apply online for Karmashree prakalpa scheme, what is eligibility criteria, list of documents required and other aspects regarding the scheme.
"Before the Lok Sabha polls, the state government provided due wages to 59 lakh MGNREGA job card holders who did not get their wages as the central government withheld the funds. Now the state government will ensure a 50-day work guarantee under the state-funded scheme," said a senior state government official.
A source said the online Karmashree portal will also help the government maintain transparency in spending funds under the scheme, as the government does not want any malpractice.
"The state government does not want any allegations of malpractice with the scheme... the portal will help monitor daily activities of the schemes, including how many workers were given work in which areas," said an official.
About Karmashree Scheme 2024 in West Bengal
A majority of West Bengal's population lives below the poverty line, and such individuals do not have sufficient funds to provide for the necessities of their life. The Government, therefore, introduces different types of social welfare schemes for the benefit of low-income group individuals. One such social security measure, introduced in 2024, is the Karmashree scheme. This scheme has the potentital to become the largest social security scheme in all the states across India.Karmashree Scheme Objectives
Karmashree Scheme in West Bengal state is based on the lines of MGNREGA scheme of the central government. Just like MGNREGS offers 100 days of guaranteed employment to NREGA job card holders, Karmasree will offer 50 days of guaranteed employment opportunity. The main objective of this scheme is to ensure that every jobless person in the rural areas gets minimum fifty days of work in a year.
Both males and females above the age of 18 years would be able to get work in the Karmashree yojana. One seeking the job shall apply online for NREGA job card to work under Karmashree scheme. At the work site, each person will have to show their aadhar card and start working.
Both males and females above the age of 18 years would be able to get work in the Karmashree yojana. One seeking the job shall apply online for NREGA job card to work under Karmashree scheme. At the work site, each person will have to show their aadhar card and start working.
WB Karmashree Scheme 2024-2025 Launch Details
West Bengal state panchayats and rural development department on 14th June 2024 launched an online portal for Karmashree Scheme. It is a flagship scheme parallel to MGNREGA to provide at least 50 days of work to over two crore job card holders as the Narendra Modi government froze funds for the rural employment guarantee scheme in December 2021. CM Mamata Banerjee had given special focus to compensating for the loss of poor rural workers through her brainchild scheme, Karmashree, before the 2026 Assembly elections.Karmashree Scheme Portal Goes Live
On Friday, the state panchayat and rural development minister, Pradip Mazumdar, launched the online portal (https://wbdeptemployment.in/) and a WhatsApp chatbot service, which allows anyone to get in touch with developmental works under the department. In a conference at Dhano Dhanye auditorium here, block informatics officers (BIOs) and district informatics analysts (DIAs) from across Bengal were trained to upload comprehensive job creation data through different state government departments.
Karmashree to Work on Similar Lines of MGNREGA
"Now every department will have to send the data to the central portal, and the Panchayat and Rural Development Department will anchor the scheme as it has experience in managing MGNREGA. That is why senior officials of the department took part in the discussions at the conference," said an official.A source said the online Karmashree portal will also help the government maintain transparency in spending funds under the scheme, as the government does not want any malpractice.
"The state government does not want any allegations of malpractice with the scheme... the portal will help monitor daily activities of the schemes, including how many workers were given work in which areas," said an official.
Karmashree Yojana Features and Benefits
GoWB has once again demonstrated its steadfast commitment to the people of Bengal through the launch of the groundbreaking 'Karmashree' scheme. This transformative initiative ensures 50 days of employment, providing a lifeline to workers neglected by the Central Govt. for over two years & to tackle the Centre induced inflation. Smt. Mamata Banerjee continues to stand beside her people, fighting against all odds! The Karmashree scheme in West Bengal will start from May 2024.
WB Karmashree Scheme Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant must be a permanent resident of the West Bengal state.
- Applicant must be atleast 18 years of age.
- One must be unemployed.
- He / She must be a job card holder.
List of Documents Required for Karmasree Scheme
- Aadhar Card
- Address Proof
- Job Card
- Recent Passport Size Photographs
- Bank account details
- Active mobile number
How to Apply Online for WB Karmashree Scheme
- First of all, visit the official website of Karmashree Scheme at https://wbdeptemployment.in/
- On the homepage, click at "Log In" link.
- Then the WB Karmashree Portal Login page will open.
- Enter the Login Name, Password and click at "Sign In" button.
Note that "Apply for Job Card" facility will soon start at the Karmashree portal. For this an apply online link will be present and upon clicking that link, the Karmasree scheme online registration form will open. Here one will have to fill in the asked details accurately and upload necessary documents as mentioned above. Finally, one can review their filled in information in the Karmashree online application form and click at "Submit" button to send their application to the concerned authorities for approval. Once approval is done, applicants will get their job cards to work under Karmashree scheme.
Overview of Karmasree Scheme
| Name of Scheme | Karmashree Scheme |
| State | West Bengal |
| Date of Announcement | 8 February 2024 |
| Who Announced It | Smt. Chandrima Bhattacharya while presenting WB Budget 2024-25 |
| Major Beneficiaries | Jobless citizens of West Bengal who are 18 years or above in age |
| Start Date | 14 June 2024 |
| Objective | To reduce unemployment in the state |
| Offering | Atleast 50 days of work to each job card holder |
Karmasree Scheme in West Bengal Budget 2024-25
On 8th February 2024, Finance Minister presented West Bengal Budget 2024-25. While presenting the budget, FM said that "The central government has deprived our marginalised people of their minimum subsistence right by denying fund under MGNREGA. In the last 2 years, the State Government has created 39 crore mandays of work at a total expenditure of Rs. 8,297 crore, with the assistance of different departments. I am happy to inform that keeping in mind the sustained effort of the State Government to support these marginalized people, Hon’ble Chief Minister has launched a new scheme named Karmasree. Under this scheme, the State Government will ensure at least 50 days of work to each job card holder. This scheme shall commence from May 2024".
Need for Karmashree Scheme in WB State
After the Centre froze funds to Bengal under schemes like MGNREGA in December 2021, citing irregularities, the TMC, led by its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, launched a massive movement against the Narendra Modi government in Calcutta and Delhi.In Delhi, several TMC MPs were detained when they went to meet the Minister of State for Rural Development, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, in her office at Krishi Bhavan in October 2023. In February this year, the Bengal government released ₹2,800 crore from its coffers to pay 59 lakh MGNREGA job card holders.
A senior TMC leader said providing due wages to the MGNREGA workers and the campaign on the Centre’s deprivation helped the party reap political dividends in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls by bagging 29 out of 42 seats in the state.
The state government has set a goal to run its own funded parallel scheme to offer jobs to those job card holders through 26 sectors, including agriculture, horticulture, rural connectivity, and the health department. In the 2023-24 fiscal, the state government has already provided jobs involving 55 departments to 64.31 lakh job card holders.
A senior TMC leader said providing due wages to the MGNREGA workers and the campaign on the Centre’s deprivation helped the party reap political dividends in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls by bagging 29 out of 42 seats in the state.
The state government has set a goal to run its own funded parallel scheme to offer jobs to those job card holders through 26 sectors, including agriculture, horticulture, rural connectivity, and the health department. In the 2023-24 fiscal, the state government has already provided jobs involving 55 departments to 64.31 lakh job card holders.
West Bengal Budget Speech 2024-25 - https://finance.wb.gov.in/writereaddata/Budget_Speech/2024_English.pdf
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West Bengal