'Duare Sarkar' programme: State will hold 20,000 camps in all Gram Panchayats, municipal wards

Kolkata: The Bengal government will hold 20,000 camps under "Duare Sarkar" programme in every Gram Panchayats and municipal wards as an integrated window to ensure dissemination of benefits of 11 state-run schemes at the grassroots level over the next two months from December 1.

"Duare Sarkar" programme is the brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who held a video conference with all concerned officers both in the state level and districts on Monday directing them to undertake the programme with utmost sincerity so that beneficiaries of the scheme do not remain deprived of their rights despite all efforts taken by the state government.

The programme that is beginning today, December 1, will take place in four phases in the next two months. In the first phase, which is from December 1 to 11, people will be provided with respective application forms and all information on the documents that they have to furnish to get benefits of a scheme. Their application will be submitted immediately by the officers equipped with online computer applications if they visit the camps with required documents. In that case, they will get the benefit in the second phase that will continue from December 15 to 24.

Anyone, who has collected information and application form during the first phase of the camp, can also apply for the same during the second phase. In such cases, they will be getting the benefits in the third phase that is from January 2 to 12 in 2021. There will also be a fourth phase from January 18 to 30 in 2021 as "mop-up round".

The camps will be organised at schools, colleges or community halls from 10 am to 4 pm and every Gram Panchayat or Municipality Ward will be covered at least once in each phase. Sub-divisional officers will have the main responsibility of conducting the camps for the urban areas and the block development officers will be in charge of the rural areas under their jurisdiction.

Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, who is also the chairman of the state-level apex committee for the programme, said: "As announced by the Chief Minister, 'Duare Sarkar' is an outreach programme where benefits of specified government schemes and services will be delivered to beneficiaries at their doorsteps through camps organised at Gram Panchayat and municipality ward level. Separate standard operating containing guidelines of each specified schemes and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) have been shared with all officials for the smooth conduct of the campaign and ensuring that the objectives of the programme are achieved."

Most importantly there will be real-time monitoring of the attendance at the camps will be done through online portal by the top brass of the state government and a robust MIS will capture the attendance at each camp and number of applications submitted for each scheme. There is task force and a nodal officer for every district to hold the camps for the dissemination of the benefits of 11 schemes including Khadya Sathi, Swasthya Sathi, Caste Certificates, Sikshashree, Jai Johar, Taposili Bandhu, Kanyashree, Rupashree, Aikyashree, MGNREGS and Krishak Bandhu.

Special emphasis will be given to help people get 'Swasthya Sathi' card, caste certificate for people from scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and other backward classes, benefits of 'Jai Jahor Prakalpa', 'Sikhashree' and 'Aikashree' schemes.

Officers from the Land and Land Reforms department at every camp to redress pending land mutation applications so that related records can be updated to help farmers get the benefits of 'Krishak Bandhu' scheme. So far 50 lakh farmers in the state have been brought under the scheme.

Moreover, applications related to any schemes would also be received at the camps. Folk artistes under 'Lok Prasar' scheme will be creating awareness among people about the unique step of the state government that again create further job opportunities.