Ahead of panchayat polls in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress Chairperson and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday launched a fresh public outreach programme to reach out to people of the State. Under the initiative ‘Didir Suraksha Kawach’ (Didi Protection Shield)‘ about 3.5 lakh volunteers of the Trinamool Congress will reach out to all 2 crore households of the State in a span of 60 days.
Launching the campaign Ms. Banerjee said that while ‘Duare Sarkar (Government at Doorstep)‘ was an attempt at government level to reach out to the people, the new initiative is an initiative at the party level . Under the scheme the volunteers will try to extend the benefits of 15 flagship schemes of the West Bengal government to the people of the State.
The public outreach comes at a time when the State government is battling scams including the recent protests at the panchayat level over irregularities in the allocation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. On the issue of corruption at panchayat level the Chief Minister pointed out that panchayats get funds directly from the Centre and there is not much which the State government can do instead of keeping a watch and sending reports if there are allegations of corruption.
Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee who was seated on the stage with the Chief Minister during the launch said that a mobile application has been developed and a training programme will be held at a local level will be undertaken before the initiative kicks off on January 11. The outreach is similar to ‘Didi ke Bolo (Tell Didi)‘ campiagn of the party which was launched ahaed of 2021 Assembly polls in the State.
Never directly associated with BJP says Mamata
Addressing party leaders and workers at the event, Ms. Banerjee said that she had never been directly associated with the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP). The Chief Minister said that BJP’s ideology differentiates among people and attempts are being made to change history, geography and culture.
Speaking about Trinamool Congress’s vision as the party completed 25 years on January 1, 2023 the party chairperson said that Trinamool stands for a “united India and a strengthened federal structure”.Ms. Banerjee also alleged of an understanding between “Ram and Baam (BJP and Left)‘ in the State. She added that canards against her government are unprecedented in the country. “ We did not do anything destructive while we were in Opposition,” she said.
Recounting her political struggle, Ms. Banerjee said that she had left Congress and set up Trinamool Congress in 1998 because the Congress had become like a ‘tarbuj (watermelon) green outside but red inside”.
