PIB Kolkata Hosts Birbhum Media Workshop to Boost Flagship Schemes
Times of India | 10 August 2026
Suri: The Press Information Bureau (PIB), Kolkata, organized a media workshop, Vartalaap, at Abdarpur in Birbhum district on Friday to strengthen awareness regarding key flagship initiatives of the Centre. The event brought together govt officials, media personnel, and local stakeholders to build effective development communication channels.
Inaugurating the workshop, state agriculture minister Dudh Kumar Mondal highlighted the transformative potential of the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, in accelerating rural development. He stressed the necessity of providing farmers with easy access to institutional credit, fertilizers at Maximum Retail Price (MRP), modern agricultural techniques, and expanded irrigation infrastructure.
Addressing the gathering, PIB Director General (East Zone) Shri T. V. K. Reddy underscored the need for authentic information amidst growing social media misinformation. He outlined PIB’s role in disseminating verified regional translations, issuing backgrounders, and facilitating crisis communication alongside its PIB Fact Check initiative.
Birbhum CMOH Dr Subhabrata Ghosh announced that 27.58 lakh district residents will be covered under Ayushman Bharat. Card distribution begins August 16 following an ‘Ayushman Bharat Week’ (August 8–15). UCO Bank Lead District Manager Shri Niraj Kumar reported that 25.80 lakh Jan Dhan accounts have been opened across Birbhum. WBSEDCL Regional Manager Parimal Sarkar noted that 2,715 applications for the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana have been received from Birbhum since its statewide rollout in May 2026.
The session concluded with an interactive Q&A bridging policy implementation and grassroots media reporting.