West Bengal Building State Capability for Inclusive Social Protection Operation

The development objectives of the West Bengal Building State Capability for Inclusive Social Protection Operation in India are to strengthen the capability of the State of West Bengal to expand coverage and access to social assistance and targeted services for poor and vulnerable groups within the State. The Operation builds on a World Bank-supported national level social protection Development Policy Operation series in India, which envisages ‘nuts and bolts’ support to State governments. The activities under the Operation respond to the inequities in access to social assistance amongst underserved communities in West Bengal. The Operation is designed to support budgeted government interventions at the State level - targeting vulnerable groups such as women, tribal and scheduled caste households and the elderly. The Program outlines a four-year financial support to the State of West Bengal to fulfill objectives in two key results areas: (i) strengthening the delivery of cash transfers for the poor and vulnerable (elderly, disabled, households living in disaster-prone coastal regions) through a consolidated social registry; (ii) facilitating targeted interventions to improve welfare outcomes for women and vulnerable groups, while strengthening institutional support for coordination and delivery.