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Indian Express
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bengal polls less than a year away, Mamata Banerjee looks to repeat winning play with neighbourhood outreach
TAPAN MONDOL, 31, seated on the front bench in a classroom of Bele-Durganagar High School, Joynagar, in South 24 Parganas, while attending a meeting as part of the TMC government's 'Amader Para, Amader Samadhan' (Our Neighbourhood, Our Solution) initiative, which rolled out from August 2 at the booth level, pointed out, 'We lack drinking water sources, forcing us to travel 2.5 km for water. So, we are proposing at least four tubewells for our Bele-Durganagar area.' The move comes ahead of the Assembly elections, which is less than a year away. During the meeting, a government official on site pointed out, 'One tube well costs around Rs 2 lakh, and we only have Rs 10 lakh fund. Installing four tubewells would exceed our budget.' However, backing Mondol's proposal, another villager, 67-year-old Prafulla Sardar, responded firmly, 'We will handle other issues such as streetlights and poor roads later. Drinking water comes first. So, prioritise the tubewells, then do whatever else you want to.' After the 'success' of its 'Duare Sarkar' and 'Parai Samadhan' campaigns, the West Bengal government on Saturday launched a Rs 8,000-crore outreach programme aimed at resolving local issues such as setting up street lamps, repairing roads and ensuring water supply, across districts, at the level of 'paras' or neighbourhoods. As part of the scheme, a locality (para) is constituted with three booths. On the opening day, each centre had three dedicated rooms where villagers could submit their local demands. These were compiled by a neutral person and handed over to the administration. The proposals would then be reviewed and decisions made on which projects to implement. The administration also arranged a help desk to take individual problems and applications. Organised for Booth 181 of the Joynagar Assembly constituency, the voters of the three booths – 181, 182 and 183 – participated in the project camp. Inaugurating the camp, Sumit Gupta, District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas, said, 'We have supplied the scheme names which will be allowed in this programme. People will put forth their demands in today's meeting. These will be scrutinised and selected projects will be implemented from November. On the first day, we organised 56 camps across the district.' 'In this scheme, one para will be constituted with three booths. But in remote places, we are making para with one or two booths also,' he added. However, a controversy erupted when it surfaced that Bele-Durganagar High School had exams scheduled on Saturday, and the camps began before the exams were completed. The school head master Arijit Sarkar claimed, 'We do not have problems and students also did not face any problems.' Meanwhile, the DM said, 'I do not have any idea that examinations are going on. It is not desirable. We are investigating.' Another camp was organised at Champahati Nilmani Kar Vidyalaya, under the Baruipur-East Assembly constituency, with participants belonging under booth number 24, 25 and 26. Panchayat Development Officer of Baruipur, Sanjib Roy Chowdhury said, 'Many people are coming and expecting that they can submit their problems like OBC certificate, Lakshmir Bhandar application, widow pension like government schemes. We also arranged for them a help desk so that they can submit their demands also.' A local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, Manna Naskar, said, 'It is a new programme. But it will be useful for development as ground level general voters are participating in this programme.' 'More than 300 persons participated in the programme. They have given many proposals, mostly roads, drinking water and streetlights,' said another TMC leader and local panchayat pradhan Asit Baran Mondol. Last month, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who announced the initiative, claimed, 'First such initiative in INDIA where people can voice their opinions and mutually decide the issues they need to get it resolved in their booth using Rs 10 lakh.' After its launch on Saturday, Banerjee posted on X, 'Amader Para Amader Samadhan' (APAS) is a unique flagship initiative aimed at institutionalizing participatory governance and re-imagining grassroots service delivery through people-engagement and empowerment. APAS camp is a platform where local people shall deliberate, identify and prioritize their local level infrastructure needs.' 'Rs 8,000+ crore is the outlay for APAS with Rs 10 lakh allocated per booth and 80,000+ polling booths being covered by 27,000+ camps. Today, on the first day of 'Amader Para, Amader Samadhan' (APAS) 632 camps are being held across the State. Duare Sarkar counters have also been set up in APAS Camps.I invite the people to visit their camps and participate in the discussions to make APAS a grand success. I also thank the concerned government officials and other stakeholders for their efforts in the smooth roll out of the campaign,' she added.
Indian Express
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Ahead of Bengal polls, Mamata govt rolls out Rs 8,000-cr neighbourhood outreach scheme
TAPAN MONDOL, 31, seated on the front bench in a classroom of Bele-Durganagar High School, Joynagar, in South 24 Parganas, while attending a meeting as part of the TMC government's 'Amader Para, Amader Samadhan' (Our Neighbourhood, Our Solution) initiative, which rolled out from August 2 at the booth level, pointed out, 'We lack drinking water sources, forcing us to travel 2.5 km for water. So, we are proposing at least four tubewells for our Bele-Durganagar area.' The move comes ahead of the Assembly elections, which is less than a year away. During the meeting, a government official on site pointed out, 'One tube well costs around Rs 2 lakh, and we only have Rs 10 lakh fund. Installing four tubewells would exceed our budget.' However, backing Mondol's proposal, another villager, 67-year-old Prafulla Sardar, responded firmly, 'We will handle other issues such as streetlights and poor roads later. Drinking water comes first. So, prioritise the tubewells, then do whatever else you want to.' After the 'success' of its 'Duare Sarkar' and 'Parai Samadhan' campaigns, the West Bengal government on Saturday launched a Rs 8,000-crore outreach programme aimed at resolving local issues such as setting up street lamps, repairing roads and ensuring water supply, across districts, at the level of 'paras' or neighbourhoods. As part of the scheme, a locality (para) is constituted with three booths. On the opening day, each centre had three dedicated rooms where villagers could submit their local demands. These were compiled by a neutral person and handed over to the administration. The proposals would then be reviewed and decisions made on which projects to implement. The administration also arranged a help desk to take individual problems and applications. Organised for Booth 181 of the Joynagar Assembly constituency, the voters of the three booths – 181, 182 and 183 – participated in the project camp. Inaugurating the camp, Sumit Gupta, District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas, said, 'We have supplied the scheme names which will be allowed in this programme. People will put forth their demands in today's meeting. These will be scrutinised and selected projects will be implemented from November. On the first day, we organised 56 camps across the district.' 'In this scheme, one para will be constituted with three booths. But in remote places, we are making para with one or two booths also,' he added. However, a controversy erupted when it surfaced that Bele-Durganagar High School had exams scheduled on Saturday, and the camps began before the exams were completed. The school head master Arijit Sarkar claimed, 'We do not have problems and students also did not face any problems.' Meanwhile, the DM said, 'I do not have any idea that examinations are going on. It is not desirable. We are investigating.' Another camp was organised at Champahati Nilmani Kar Vidyalaya, under the Baruipur-East Assembly constituency, with participants belonging under booth number 24, 25 and 26. Panchayat Development Officer of Baruipur, Sanjib Roy Chowdhury said, 'Many people are coming and expecting that they can submit their problems like OBC certificate, Lakshmir Bhandar application, widow pension like government schemes. We also arranged for them a help desk so that they can submit their demands also.' A local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, Manna Naskar, said, 'It is a new programme. But it will be useful for development as ground level general voters are participating in this programme.' 'More than 300 persons participated in the programme. They have given many proposals, mostly roads, drinking water and streetlights,' said another TMC leader and local panchayat pradhan Asit Baran Mondol. Last month, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who announced the initiative, claimed, 'First such initiative in INDIA where people can voice their opinions and mutually decide the issues they need to get it resolved in their booth using Rs 10 lakh.' After its launch on Saturday, Banerjee posted on X, 'Amader Para Amader Samadhan' (APAS) is a unique flagship initiative aimed at institutionalizing participatory governance and re-imagining grassroots service delivery through people-engagement and empowerment. APAS camp is a platform where local people shall deliberate, identify and prioritize their local level infrastructure needs.' 'Rs 8,000+ crore is the outlay for APAS with Rs 10 lakh allocated per booth and 80,000+ polling booths being covered by 27,000+ camps. Today, on the first day of 'Amader Para, Amader Samadhan' (APAS) 632 camps are being held across the State. Duare Sarkar counters have also been set up in APAS Camps.I invite the people to visit their camps and participate in the discussions to make APAS a grand success. I also thank the concerned government officials and other stakeholders for their efforts in the smooth roll out of the campaign,' she added.
Indian Express
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bengal govt rolls out Rs 8,000-cr outreach programme to resolve local issues
TAPAN MONDOL, 31, seated on the front bench in a classroom of Bele-Durganagar High School, Joynagar, in South 24 Parganas, while attending a meeting as part of the TMC government's 'Amader Para, Amader Samadhan' (Our Neighbourhood, Our Solution) initiative, which rolled out from August 2 at the booth level, pointed out, 'We lack drinking water sources, forcing us to travel 2.5 km for water. So, we are proposing at least four tubewells for our Bele-Durganagar area.' During the meeting, a government official on site pointed out, 'One tube well costs around Rs 2 lakh, and we only have Rs 10 lakh fund. Installing four tubewells would exceed our budget.' However, backing Mondol's proposal, another villager, 67-year-old Prafulla Sardar, responded firmly, 'We will handle other issues such as streetlights and poor roads later. Drinking water comes first. So, prioritise the tubewells, then do whatever else you want to.' After the 'success' of its 'Duare Sarkar' and 'Parai Samadhan' campaigns, the West Bengal government on Saturday launched a Rs 8,000-crore outreach programme aimed at resolving local issues such as setting up street lamps, repairing roads and ensuring water supply, across districts, at the level of 'paras' or neighbourhoods. As part of the scheme, a locality (para) is constituted with three booths. On the opening day, each centre had three dedicated rooms where villagers could submit their local demands. These were compiled by a neutral person and handed over to the administration. The proposals would then be reviewed and decisions made on which projects to implement. The administration also arranged a help desk to take individual problems and applications. The move comes ahead of the Assembly elections, which is less than a year away. Organised for Booth 181 of the Joynagar Assembly constituency, the voters of the three booths – 181, 182 and 183 – participated in the project camp. Inaugurating the camp, Sumit Gupta, District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas, said, 'We have supplied the scheme names which will be allowed in this programme. People will put forth their demands in today's meeting. These will be scrutinised and selected projects will be implemented from November. On the first day, we organised 56 camps across the district.' 'In this scheme, one para will be constituted with three booths. But in remote places, we are making para with one or two booths also,' he added. However, a controversy erupted when it surfaced that Bele-Durganagar High School had exams scheduled on Saturday, and the camps began before the exams were completed. The school head master Arijit Sarkar claimed, 'We do not have problems and students also did not face any problems.' Meanwhile, the DM said, 'I do not have any idea that examinations are going on. It is not desirable. We are investigating.' Another camp was organised at Champahati Nilmani Kar Vidyalaya, under the Baruipur-East Assembly constituency, with participants belonging under booth number 24, 25 and 26. Panchayat Development Officer of Baruipur, Sanjib Roy Chowdhury said, 'Many people are coming and expecting that they can submit their problems like OBC certificate, Lakshmir Bhandar application, widow pension like government schemes. We also arranged for them a help desk so that they can submit their demands also.' A local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, Manna Naskar, said, 'It is a new programme. But it will be useful for development as ground level general voters are participating in this programme.' 'More than 300 persons participated in the programme. They have given many proposals, mostly roads, drinking water and streetlights,' said another TMC leader and local panchayat pradhan Asit Baran Mondol. Last month, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who announced the initiative, claimed, 'First such initiative in INDIA where people can voice their opinions and mutually decide the issues they need to get it resolved in their booth using Rs 10 lakh.' After its launch on Saturday, Banerjee posted on X, 'Amader Para Amader Samadhan' (APAS) is a unique flagship initiative aimed at institutionalizing participatory governance and re-imagining grassroots service delivery through people-engagement and empowerment. APAS camp is a platform where local people shall deliberate, identify and prioritize their local level infrastructure needs.' 'Rs 8,000+ crore is the outlay for APAS with Rs 10 lakh allocated per booth and 80,000+ polling booths being covered by 27,000+ camps. Today, on the first day of 'Amader Para Amader Samadhan' 632 camps are being held across the State. Duare Sarkar counters have also been set up in APAS Camps.I invite the people to visit their camps and participate in the discussions to make APAS a grand success. I also thank the concerned government officials and stakeholders…,' she added.
Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
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
