Kolkata, Aug 2 (PTI) Ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, the West Bengal government on Saturday launched a Rs 8,000-crore outreach programme to address local issues, like setting up street lamps, repairing roads and ensuring water supply, across districts.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said 632 camps were being set up across the state on the first day of the programme - Amader Para, Amader Samadhan (Our neighbourhood, our Solution).
In a post on X, the CM said, "Today, on the first day of 'Amader Para Amader Samadhan' (APAS), 632 camps are being held across the state."
The programme is a unique flagship initiative aimed at "institutionalising participatory governance and re-imagining grassroots service delivery through people-engagement and empowerment," she said in the post.
"(An) APAS camp is a platform where local people shall deliberate, identify and prioritise their local level infrastructure needs. Rs. 8,000+ crore is the outlay for APAS with Rs 10 lakhs allocated per booth and 80,000+ polling booths being covered by 27,000+ camps," Banerjee added.
She also said 'Duare Sarkar' counters have also been set up in APAS camps.
'Durare Sarkar' (government at doorsteps) was an outreach programme introduced by the government earlier to provide services under various state-run schemes.
"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 rollout of the campaign," Banerjee said.
A task force headed by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant would monitor the programme, and district-level task forces have been formed as camps started functioning on Saturday.
While these camps will be held for two months, there will be an administrative evaluation for 30 days, a government statement said.
"The implementation or addressing the issues raised by the people will take a period of three months from the day of launch," it said.
In the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area, there is one camp for every two booths.
"We had seen that there are small teething issues plaguing a locality, which are too localised but need urgent attention.
"While local civic bodies, people's representatives and several agencies are there to look into various issues - like the setting up of a tap, need for an electric pole or ensure proper lighting in the area, this interactive initiative is an inclusive one where various things can be brought up for being sorted out under one umbrella," a senior government official said.
Banerjee had said state government officials would be present on the ground to listen to the people's problems, and the centres would address these issues in a locality.
"You (citizen) can track schedule, status and progress at apas.wb.gov.in. You decide how your booth's budget is spent," said the government advertisement on Saturday announcing the start of the outreach programme.
The programme is rooted in the vision of a self-reliant Bengal, where the focus is not merely on delivery but on deep listening, transparency and collaboration, the statement said.
Government officials will be physically present in every locality to listen to grievances, register demands, and oversee the process, which will likely span over two months, it said.
"The initiative is unprecedented in the history of India, and it reflects the state government's commitment to placing people at the heart of policymaking," the statement said earlier.