For the first time since the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government led by Mamata Banerjee came to power in 2011, all the party MLAs will take part in a distribution programme in their respective Assembly constituencies on a single day.
The initiative which has been christened as PDS (Public Distribution Scheme) will be launched by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from Panchla in Howrah on Thursday and all the MLAs will follow suit.
In constituencies where there are Opposition MLAs, the head of the civic body or the Panchayat rural bodies will take up the responsibility of the distribution.
Interestingly, the Budget session in the state Assembly that kicked off on Wednesday with the Governor’s address will also remain suspended on Thursday with the TMC legislators taking part in the PDS programme.
“Usually, the Chief Minister officially kicks off a distribution programme and it is the district administration which completes the same. It is the first time when all MLAs will be doing such a programme on their own on the same day after the Chief Minister kicks it off,” state Parliamentary Affairs and Agriculture minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said.
He will be holding the programme in a rural area in his Khardah constituency in North 24-Parganas.
Benefits in connection with various schemes of the state government will be handed over to the beneficiaries by the MLAs that includes bicycles under the Sabooj Sathi scheme, widow pension, Swastha Sathi card, caste certificates, land patta etc.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of a slew of projects from her distribution programme at Panchla.