The VB-G RAM G or the new 125-day job scheme, will be launched across Bengal on Wednesday, giving rural job card holders a sigh of relief.

The government job scheme resumes in the state after March 2022, when the Centre stopped releasing funds to Bengal under the then 100-day job scheme, MGNREGA, alleging financial irregularities by the then Trinamool Congress government.

A source said that the 100-day MGNREGA restarted in Bengal from June 1, but most of the 2.56 crore job card holders could not get jobs under it as gram panchayats were not ready with the annual plan.

"Now, as the new job scheme gets launched on Wednesday, it is expected that card holders in the state will start getting jobs on a mass scale," said a source.

In a state with a dearth of industries, the rural job scheme gives people a steady source of income. In the absence of the job scheme for the past four years, Bengal's rural economy had been badly hit.

Under the new scheme — the expenditure of which will be shared on a 60:40 basis between the Centre and the state — the Narendra Modi government has already allotted ₹8,508 crore for Bengal, while the state has allotted its share of ₹5,672 crore.

The scheme will focus on four major areas — water security, rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure and mitigation of extreme weather events — to ensure that durable assets are created with the funds.

Under the new scheme, the gram panchayats will be responsible for the registration of beneficiaries, planning and execution of work and maintenance of records.

There would be annual physical and financial audits and mandatory social audits to prevent misappropriation of funds, a source said.

The scheme, however, will be kept in abeyance for 60 days during the peak farming season to prevent shortage of farm labourers.

In Bengal, the scheme could be put on hold between mid-July and mid-September as labourers would be engaged in farming during the Kharif season.