Kolkata, 2 August (H.S.) -

In a major outreach initiative ahead of the state assembly elections, the West Bengal government has launched a large-scale neighbourhood-level campaign titled ‘Amader Para, Amader Samadhan’ (Our Neighbourhood, Our Solution) aimed at addressing grassroots issues through direct public engagement. The state plans to spend ₹8,000 crore on the programme.

Announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on July 22, the campaign officially kicked off on Saturday. “We are approving ₹10 lakh for every booth. This programme will commence from August 2,” she had said during the announcement.

The campaign focuses on resolving hyper-local issues such as road repairs, installation of streetlights, and improvement in water supply. Task forces have been constituted at the district level, operating under the direct supervision of Chief Secretary Manoj Pant. According to government officials, several camps began functioning from the first day of the launch.

As per an official statement, these public camps will run for two months. This will be followed by a 30-day administrative review and then a three-month window to implement solutions based on public feedback.

In Kolkata Municipal Corporation areas, a camp has been set up for every two polling booths. “We have identified several areas with highly localised problems that need immediate attention. This initiative brings all relevant agencies on one platform to ensure timely solutions,” a senior official stated.

Citizens can track booth-level planning, fund utilisation, and progress updates through the government portal apas.wb.gov.in. The Chief Minister had earlier emphasised that officials would be physically present in localities to listen to grievances and monitor the resolution process.

The state government claims this is the first initiative of its kind in India, marking a significant step towards the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bangla (Self-reliant Bengal). Beyond service delivery, the campaign aims to foster values of transparency, dialogue, and collaborative governance.

“This campaign is unprecedented in Indian administrative history and reaffirms our commitment to placing people at the heart of policymaking,” the government said in its statement.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh