Cong to undertake campaign to help Covid-19 pandemic-affected people

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday announced that it will undertake a nationwide outreach campaign to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and to gather data on coronavirus infected patients and the deceased.

In a statement, Congress general secretary, organization, K C Venugopal said party president Sonia Gandhi and state unit presidents will also be writing condolence letters to the next of kin of those who passed away due to Covid.

"This outreach programme aims to cover approximately three crore households in 30 days, thereby indirectly touching approximately 12 crore people at an average of four members per family," he said.

Venugopal said the total expected feet on ground would be 1,51,340 at the peak of the campaign.

Pursuant to extensive humanitarian and service driven efforts of crores of Congress men and women, driven by the national Covid task force, Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) and Covid relief committees, he said, the Congress has decided to launch a nationwide outreach campaign.

"Through this effort, the party seeks to reach out to frontline health workers as also to those severely affected by the pandemic with a helping hand," Venugopal said.

A subsidiary aim is also to gather primary data of Covid-affected families, patients and the deceased, he said. As part of the campaign, PCCs in states will be setting up a control room at their respective offices, according to Venugopal.

"PCCs and district congress committees (DCCs) and city congress committees (CCCs) will be appointing a minimum of one point person as a coordinator per block or corporation or ward to monitor activities in his/her block for the duration of the campaign," the senior Congress leader said.

The block or town area presidents will be further identifying 10 workers who were active in helping people during the pandemic in every block and every town. They will designate them as 'Covid warriors' to collect data from the ground and relay the information collected through BCCs, DCCs and PCCs to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) control room or the party's data department, he said.

The campaign will cover 7,199 blocks and 7,935 towns in 736 districts of the country, Venugopal said.