Previously organized at the panchayat level, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has decided to take the Duare Sarkar camps to every polling booth in the state. (Image: PTI/File)
The TMC is worried after losing the Sagardighi bypoll, indicating a decline in minority votes, while the state government is also facing corruption charges in a recruitment scam case.
Amid looming allegations of corruption and concerns of losing minority votes, the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee Before the Panchayat elections to be held in May, the state government has decided to start ‘Duare Sarkar’ program at every polling booth. This initiative will start from April 1.
In Bengal, the panchayat elections are being seen as the “semi-finals” ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The state government is under immense pressure, with allegations of corruption in a recruitment scam and a sense of unease over the loss of minority votes.
Earlier this month, the Trinamool Congress was defeated by Congress candidate Byron Biswas in the Sagardighi bypoll. Mamata’s party had won the constituency since 2011; The bypoll was necessitated after the death of state minister Subrata Saha in December last year. What was worrying was the decline in the party’s vote share in a seat with 63 per cent Muslim votes.
The TMC government is meeting these two challenges to a large extent. Hence, the Chief Minister has decided to take the government’s flagship ‘Duare Sarkar’ program to the booths. This program started in 2020, where camps were set up at the panchayat level and people unable to take advantage of government schemes could bring their grievances here and get their work done.
The main objective of this program was to reach people at their doorsteps, so that they do not have to wander from door to door to get necessary work done at the government level. These camps were earlier organized at the panchayat level and TMC was able to take advantage of this in a big way in the 2021 assembly elections. Now before the Panchayat elections, the CM has decided to take it to every booth.
Since its launch in 2020, the state government has organized over 3.71 lakh community-level outreach camps and over 6.77 crore services have been delivered to beneficiaries across Bengal. From the financial year 2021-2022, ‘Duare Sarkar’ has been included in the administrative calendar of the state government.
A senior administration official said, “Now, the state government has decided that, for the benefit of the people and in public interest, the sixth edition of ‘Duare Sarkar’ and ‘Parayan Samadhan’ will be organized at all booths.”
Party sources said that there are around 77,000 booths in West Bengal and the government is planning this program for 20 days so that every booth can be reached.
The state government has various social welfare schemes – Swasthya Sathi, Kanyashree Prakalp (to improve the status and well-being of girls, especially from underprivileged backgrounds), Roopashree Prakalp (financial assistance to families who are unable to arrange marriage for their daughters). difficulties), Laxmir Bhandar (financial assistance to the female head of the household), among others.
Sources said that if the Duare Sarkar program reaches every booth, people who need benefits from such government schemes will be helped and the image of the government will improve.
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