'An MLA for 50 yrs now, I have never seen any govt reaching people's doorsteps'

Kolkata: The state's massive 'Duare Sarkar' (Government at Doorstep) outreach campaign kicked off, in Kolkata on Tuesday, with a immense response, with thousands queuing at the camps to avail facilities of the Swasthya Sathi scheme.

Senior party leaders Subrata Mukherjee and Firhad Hakim were present at such camps in Kolkata. "A number of people are required to go for specialised treatment at private hospitals as many state hospitals have being declared Covid-designated hospitals and working on the overdrive, however, the exorbitant cost for treatment often proved to be a barrier for the common people in availing treatment at these hospitals. Now, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee deciding to bring the entire population in the state under the coverage of the Swasthya Sathi health scheme, the move has come as a boon for these people," said Firhad Hakim, Chairman of Board of Administrators Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). Hakim visited two such camps in Garfa (ward 104) and Santoshpur (ward 106) and officially kicked off the 'Duare Sarkar' initiative.

State Panchayats and Rural Development minister Subrata Mukherjee inaugurated a similar camp at ward 68 in Gariahat. "I have been an MLA for 50 years and I have never seen any government reaching at the doorsteps of the people. I will appeal to every single

citizen to visit these camps and avail of the facilities of the government schemes," said Mukherjee. Apart from ward 104, 106 and 68 the other wards that saw flagging off the initiative on Tuesday are 5,18, 34,28, 49, 51,64,71,120, 144, 92 and 133. Already 7.5 crore people have been brought under Swasthya Sathi scheme enabling them to avail health insurance of Rs 5 lakh for a family per year. Now, another 2.5 crore people will come under the scheme.

Apart from Swasthya Sathi, the Duare Sarkar initiative will be responsible for dissemination of the benefits of other state schemes including Khadya Sathi, Caste Certificates, Sikshashree, Jai Johar, Taposili Bandhu, Kanyashree, Rupashree, Aikyashree, MGNREGA and Krishak Bandhu.

KMC will be holding camps in all the 144 wards with the aim to take government services to the doorstep of every single citizen in the city till January 30. Hakim said that pending issues of mutation and assessment under KMC area will also be taken up at the camps.