Ahead of Bengal assembly polls, TMC government launches its biggest outreach drive today

At least four camps would be set up in every village and civic body across all 344 blocks in the state beginning Tuesday. At these camps, officials would help people with various government facilities, like MGNREGA job cards, health cards, caste certificates and ration cards

With an eye on the 2021 assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress-led government in West Bengal is launching one of its biggest outreach drives to connect with people over the next two months, starting Tuesday.

TMC president and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.(File photo)

“The Duare Sarkar scheme will highlight around a dozen government programmes and address grievances of those left out,” said a senior official of the state government.

At least four camps would be set up in every village and civic body across all 344 blocks in the state between December 1 and January 28. At these camps, officials would help people with various government facilities, like MGNREGA job cards, health cards, caste certificates and ration cards.

The Mamata Banerjee-administration has already directed the district administration to stress on the Bangla Sahayata Kendra, a chain of centres at the grass root level for free information about various government schemes.

“The state government has deployed more than 6,800 people across 3,400 such centres to provide information to the people about government projects and facilities and help them access those,” said a senior official.

People can get information of around 240 public services from around 38 departments from these centres, free of cost.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has criticised the state government over the Duare Sarkar scheme, asking it to clarify if it is a government programme or an outreach programme of the TMC ahead of the elections.

The ruling TMC is likely to face a stiff challenge from the BJP which won 40% of the vote share in 2019 Lok Sabha elections and bagged 18 out of the 42 seats in the state.