What is Karmashree Scheme? Recruitment procedure in Karmashree Scheme

The Karmashree scheme is a new scheme of the West Bengal government, which was first announced in the budget of 2024-25. Under this scheme, the state will ensure 50 days of employment to every job card holder in the state. This article provides detailed information about Karmashree scheme benefits, eligibility, application process etc.

What is Karmasri Project?

This Karmashree scheme has been launched to increase the employment of workers in the state. This scheme is a combination of several schemes under the Labor Department. Under this scheme those who will work for 20 days in one project will be given another 20 days work in another project.

All these job card holders will be engaged in the developmental work of various departments of the state government where there is an opportunity to employ unskilled workers.

Apart from this, it has been informed by the government that through 500 Karma Thirthas, about 10 lakh young men and women will be given ‘skill development’ training.

Karmashree Project Objectives

We all know about the 100-day work of the central government’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) scheme aimed at providing employment to the working class people. However, since 2022 the state has been deprived of NREGA funds, the working class of the state has been in a special disadvantage.

It has been informed by the center that the state has cheated the money for 100 days of work and the money has been withheld as per the rules due to failure to show the account.

The state therefore no longer depends on the center and settled the dues of 50 lakh job card holders who were deprived by the current month of March 2024, where the state has spent more than two and a half thousand crore rupees.

Soon after this Karmashree scheme was announced in the state budget, where the state government will ensure 50 days of work in a year to job card holders on the lines of the central scheme NREGA. The work of this scheme has started since May this year and the state government has set a target of providing grants to 75 lakh job card holders under Karmashree scheme this financial year.

Karmashree Scheme Details

A brief description of West Bengal’s Karmashree scheme is given below:

Karmashree Project Benefits:

The following benefits of the Karmashree scheme are noteworthy:

• Unskilled workers in West Bengal will get minimum 50 days employment in a year.
• 10 lakh youth of the state will be given free ‘skill development’ training.
• A total of 500 Karma Tirtha Marketing Centers will be set up in the state, where people will get free shops.

Karmashree Project Eligibility:

The following qualifications are required for Karmashree projects:

• Applicant must be a permanent resident of West Bengal.
• Applicant will be a job card holder.
• If a worker does not have a job card, he can apply for a job card.
• All job card holders residing in West Bengal are eligible for the Karmashree scheme.
• Preference will be given to SC/ST and women workers.

Karmashree project plan

The Karmashree project is planned to work in conjunction with several projects, and the project is managed in the following manner:

• The various departments jointly prepare an annual work plan for this Karmashree project, then the work is broken down on a monthly basis.
• Every year in the month of February, the activities of each department of the Karmashree project will be reviewed and various development work plans for the next financial year will also be decided.
• Besides, the ‘Panchayat and Rural Development Department’ will prepare the annual work plan for the next financial year within the month of March based on the annual work plan prepared by each department under this scheme.

Karmashree Project Application

Unskilled workers can apply under Karmashree scheme in the following ways:

• Unskilled workers can apply through Annexure-I form to the Gram Panchayat or Block Development Office for employment under the Karmashree scheme and can claim work for a maximum of two consecutive weeks or 14 days. Candidates will be given proper receipt after submission of application form.
• The Gram Panchayat or Block Development Office uses a demand and allocation register to keep track of the number of job seekers and jobs, which contains the list of workers demanding jobs and their job card and Aadhaar details.
• The job card holder can submit the application later for the future job, in which case the job seeker will be offered the job as per the probability. Click to view details

How does Karmashree project work?

Recruitment process in Karmashree scheme is as follows:

• After a work order is issued by an agency, the Superintending Officer of the Department will inform the District Nodal Officer (MGNREGS) about the number of workers to be employed on a daily basis for the next 14 days as per the requirement of the workers.
• At least 7 days prior to commencement of work or 7 days prior to next requirement, such report shall be submitted to the District Nodal Officer on a continuous basis.
• The District Nodal Officer (MGNREGS) will send that report to the concerned BDO, who will appoint the Gram Panchayat staff from the demand register.
• In this case usually one wage-seeker from one family is employed so that the maximum number of families can be covered.

Karmashree Scheme communication

For information regarding the Karmashree scheme, you may contact the Panchayat and Rural Development Center through the following channels:

Address: Joint Administrative Building, Saltlake Sec-III, Kolkata – 700106
Email: support@karmashree.com

Karmashree scheme related Queries (FAQs):