Overview
- The State Level Committee chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal finalised the implementation plan on July 4 and approved a Rs 313.30 crore outlay split across three components.
- The package allocates Rs 177 crore for education, Rs 72 crore for health, and Rs 63 crore for welfare infrastructure including resting sheds.
- The North Bengal Development Department will be the nodal executing agency and has been asked to set up a Project Management Unit in consultation with the Tea Board of India before work begins.
- Plans include 321 resting sheds — 88 in hill areas and 233 in the plains — with standard designs, rooftop solar, toilets and drinking water and unit cost estimates around Rs 21.09 lakh for hills and Rs 19.11 lakh for plains.
- The state has forwarded detailed designs, cost estimates and implementation proposals to the central Steering Committee for approval, which is the next formal step to unlock Centre funding under the ₹1,000 crore PMCSPY that covers Assam and West Bengal.