Seva Setu camps draw over 10 lakh registrations on Day 1 across Bengal

Kolkata: More than 10 lakh people registered on the first day on Saturday of the three-day Seva Setu Abhiyan camps launched by the West Bengal government on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti to help people access various welfare schemes of both the Centre and the state.

According to state government data, 10,68,033 people had registered at the camps by 8 p.m. on Friday. Of them, 5,47,965 were male applicants, 5,17,546 were female applicants, and 2,522 belonged to other genders.

The highest number of registrations was reported from Burdwan, Malda, Cooch Behar and Jhargram districts, according to the state government.

The government expects a similar response on Saturday and Sunday, the second and third days of the campaign.

A senior state government official said the initiative was designed as a single-window system to help people access welfare schemes without having to make repeated visits to different offices.

“The state government has taken this initiative to bring various people-oriented schemes of the Central and State governments to the doorsteps of the people. Basically, this camp has been organised in every district of the state to provide benefits of all the schemes under one umbrella, instant enrolment, verification of documents and listening to complaints of people,” the official said.

The Bengal government has set a target of conducting 3,251 Seva Setu Abhiyan camps during the three-day programme. On Friday, the first day, 1,081 camps were held across the state. The remaining 2,170 camps will be organised over the next two days, the official said.

Among the key schemes covered at the camps are Annapurna Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Shiksha Shree, Joy Johar, PM Kisan Credit Card and PM Kisan Svanidhi.

“New forms for applying for widow allowance, old age allowance and disability allowance are also being distributed from these camps. Apart from this, the status of Annapurna Yojana and Ayushman Card can also be enquired at these camps,” the official said.

In Kolkata, one Seva Setu Abhiyan camp has been arranged for every two adjacent wards. The state government has also opened a dedicated helpline to guide residents to the camp nearest to their homes.

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