State's new outreach programme camps see staggering footfall

Kolkata: Over 16.53 lakh people have already visited the innumerable camps set up by the Bengal government for its new outreach programme 'Duare Sarkar', till Friday, according to official data.

At least 16,53,694 people made their way to the camps in 23 districts in the last four days, it said.

On Friday itself, about 5,98,868 people visited the camps.

South 24-Parganas witnessed the maximum footfall of 2,02,043 people while Kalimpong registered only 3,672 people as visitors to the camps, the data posted on the state government's Egiye Bangla website showed.

In at least four districts, over one lakh people visited these camps set up at the Panchayat offices, municipal wards and other places throughout the state. The Mamata Banerjee government has initiated the outreach programme to extend the benefits of at least 11 state-run schemes to eligible people in West Bengal.

As per the programme, the benefits of the government schemes and services will be delivered to eligible beneficiaries through camps organised in each Gram Panchayat and municipality area.

The flagship schemes include the acclaimed 'Kanyashree' (a cash transfer scheme aimed at retaining girls in schools and preventing early marriage), 'Khadya Sathi' (ensuring food security), and 'Sikshashree' (one-time grant given to SC and ST students).

The programme will continue till January 30. While camps in the first phase are scheduled from December 1- 11, the second phase will be from December 15-24, the third from January 2-12 and the fourth from January 18-30. With agency inputs