Duare Sarkar launched after 500 review meets, not to be in focus before polls: CM

Kolkata: After ensuring delivery of services to 78 per cent applicants in the world's largest outreach drive, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that Duare Sarkar and Paray Samadhan programmes were introduced to provide benefits to people at their doorsteps after holding around 500 review meetings at the district-level and not all of a sudden to be in focus ahead of the Assembly polls.

In the same breath, she assured that implementation of all schemes will continue unhindered even during the forthcoming elections. "Out of 10 crore people in the state, more than 2.5 crore people have visited the Duare Sarkar camps so far and we have already given benefits to almost 78 per cent of the applicants," Banerjee said during the review meeting of Duare Sarkar and Paray Samadhan programmes in the presence of senior members of the World Bank, Unicef, Consulates of different countries and editors of different media houses.

Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay and senior bureaucrats from all concerned departments were present in the programme at Nabanna Sabhaghar.

Stating that Duare Sarkar had not been launched to gain focus ahead of the Assembly polls in the state, Banerjee said: "It is a move in the third phase after holding 500 administrative meetings in which the state government reached to districts and officers worked at the grassroot level to help people reap benefits of the state-run schemes," Banerjee said, adding that the work to implement them will continue unhindered even during the run-up to the elections.

Giving directions to all officers including to those at the grassroot level in districts, Banerjee said: "No officer should misbehave with anyone. In case anyone approaches with any problem, it has to be solved. Service to people should not get affected at any cost. Schemes will not suffer even as the election is approaching. A government becomes stable if it implements good work for the benefit of people."

This comes when the state government has released Rs 8,700 crore for Duare Sarkar. More than 20,000 camps were already held. Similarly, 10,180 schemes were identified and the state government has already addressed 1,945 issues besides the ongoing 1,555 schemes.

The Chief Minister on Monday launched 6,300 schemes.

Stating that more than 76 lakh people have already been provided with Swasthya Sathi cards for free and cashless treatment up to Rs 5 lakh per family every year, she said: "In Ayushman Bharat, the Centre bears 60 per cent of the expenditure and the state government needs to give the remaining 40 per cent. In Bengal, every resident will get its benefit and it also ensures women empowerment."

Giving a detailed report of all 12 state-run schemes under which people were enrolled through Duare Sarkar camps, Banerjee said more than 50 lakh people received caste certificates and 2 crore

students from minority communities received scholarships. Around 55 lakh farmers have been brought under Krishak Bandhu scheme and around 50,000 spectacles were distributed under 'Chokher Alo' project.