23-07-2025
Polls ahead, Mamata to bring officials to resolve problems at neighbourhood level
After the success of its 'Duare Sarkar' and 'Parai Samadhan' campaigns, the TMC government in West Bengal will launch a two-month campaign, 'Amader Para, Amader Somadhan' (Our Neighbourhood, Our Solution), aimed at resolving issues at the level of 'paras' or neighbourhoods from August 2.
Billed as 'one-of-a-kind initiative in the country', the government will spend Rs 8,000 crore on its implementation with Rs 10 lakh allotted to each centre, comprising three booth areas, to resolve local problems.
Announcing it at a press conference at Nabanna, the state secretariat, on Tuesday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said: 'Many a time, we notice that there are small issues – like getting a water tap or an electric pole installed in a para (neighbourhood). Through this new programme, our government will be on the roads for the people… Our officials will be on the ground to listen to people's concerns.'
'Each centre will cover areas of three booths, effectively forming one unit for a particular neighbourhood. Since we have around 80,000 booths, it will take approximately two months to complete the entire programme… People will voice their opinions and mutually decide on the issues they need to get them resolved in their booth using Rs 10 lakh.'
The announcement comes ahead of the Assembly elections, which is less than a year away.
After the TMC received a setback in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Mamata Banerjee-led government had launched 'Duare Sarkar' (Government at the Doorstep) programme, which received huge success, and, according to political analysts, helped the TMC to retain power in the state for the third consecutive time in 2021.
The government followed the Duare Sarkar programme with 'Parai Samadhan' (Solution at Neighbourbood) programme, which too got a huge response.
In Duare Sarkar, government officials used to hear problems of the people, but in Parai Samadhan, a more micro-level programme, the administration used to address the local issues along with those of the individuals.
'Many people benefited through Duare Sarkar — from getting their caste certificates, to availing benefits of welfare schemes like Lakshmir Bhandar. We tried to cover many areas. Now, we are launching this programme that will be headed by me, the chief secretary, and the Director General of Police,' the chief minister said.
'Officials will remain at each booth for an entire day. A designated space will be set up where villagers can come and share their concerns specific to the local area. We have sanctioned a special fund for this initiative. An amount of Rs 10 lakh will be allocated for every booth. In total, the government will be spending over Rs 8,000 crore on this programme,' the chief minister added.
According to the chief minister, a dedicated task force will monitor the programme. 'Task forces will also be constituted at both the district and state levels. The police will also be involved to ensure smooth coordination and implementation,' she added.
Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal.
Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More
