West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced a slew of projects worth ₹400 crore in Bankura, the tribal belt of Junglemahal, on Friday, ahead of the panchayat polls.

In Paschim Medinipur, she had announced 96 government schemes worth ₹696 crore a day earlier, and in Purulia she had inaugurated schemes worth ₹375 crore, as part of her three-day long Junglemahal tour.

“We have inaugurated projects worth almost ₹400 crore today. These include developmental projects for the SC/ST and other underdeveloped communities, like OBC (other backward classes) and the tribals. Even anganwadi workers, self-help groups will benefit from projects,” Banerjee said at a government programme in Bankura on Friday.

Tribal votes are considered to be crucial for the ruling All India Trinamool Congress in the coming panchayat polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha election, said people in the know.

Banerjee said a day earlier that her government is working for the development of the Junglemahal region, despite winning only two assembly seats and no Lok Sabha seat from Purulia district in the last polls. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP fared better in West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts.

In Bankura, under the ‘Jal Dharo Jal Bharo’ scheme, 400 new ponds have been dug to address the water scarcity issue in this region, said the CM. “Around 7.33 lakh houses will benefit from piped-water connection under the ‘Jal Swapna Prakalpa‘ (water dream scheme) project by 2024,” she said.

Bankura district has water scarcity and is affected by droughts during summer.