78pc of people who visited 'Duare Sarkar' camps have received benefits: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister MamataBanerjee on Wednesday said around 78 per cent of the 2.5 crorepeople who visited 'Duare Sarkar' (government at doorsteps)camps have already received benefits of the programme.

With an eye on the assembly polls, due in April-May,the Trinamool Congress administration launched the DuareSarkar drive last month to deliver benefits of 11 state-runwelfare schemes to the people.

The camps have been set up across the state sinceDecember 1 and will continue till January 30.

Banerjee said that her government is providing freehealthcare under the 'Swasthya Sathi' programme to its 10crore population and assisting young men and women from allbackgrounds in pursuing higher education through scholarships.

Under the 'Swasthya Sathi' scheme, each family isentitled to basic health cover for secondary and tertiary careup to Rs 5 lakh every year.

''The state government is going to the grassroots levelin the districts for providing services to the people throughthe 'Duare Sarkar' camps,'' Banerjee said while addressing topofficials of international funding organisations, diplomatsand senior journalists at a review meeting of the welfareprogrammes of the state government.

She drew parallel with the Centres Ayushman Bharatscheme saying that it is being run on 60:40 ratio, whileSwasthya Sathi is totally funded by the West Bengalgovernment.

''We have effectively tackled COVID-19 and cycloneAmphan, and at present there are only a few affected by thevirus in the state,'' she said.

The chief minister said that doctors in West Bengalare very qualified and efficient, and even patients from theneighbouring states come here for treatment.

Delays in implementing the 'Swasthya Sathi' scheme isdue to reluctance of some private nursing homes, but thingsare now being streamlined so that people get seamless service,Banerjee said.

The CM had said that the state government had theright to cancel licences of private hospitals and nursinghomes if they refused to treat patients under the 'SwasthyaSathi' health scheme.

Almost 10 crore people are covered under the 'KhadyaSathi' scheme of the state government, the chief ministersaid.

''Food and health are totally free in the state,'' shesaid.

Maintaining that students have benefitted fromscholarship schemes and other welfare programmes taken by hergovernment, Banerjee said that the dropout rate is a littleover 7 per cent at the secondary level and 9 per cent at thehigher secondary level.

Claiming that misinformation is being spread about thedevelopment of West Bengal, she said that scholarships arebeing provided to students hailing from all backgrounds,including minorities, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and thegeneral category, in the state.

''Minorities, scheduled caste and scheduled tribepeople are getting scholarships for helping boys and girlsfrom these sections to become doctors, engineers and crack thecivil services examination,'' the chief minister said.

The West Bengal government has also decided totransfer Rs 10,000 to the account of each of 9.5 lakh Class 12students studying in government, government-aided, and madrasaschools to procure tab or smartphone for online education.

Junaid Ahmad, country director for the World Bank inIndia, congratulated the West Bengal government for its 'DuareSarkar' programme.