Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, has introduced a new mass outreach programme called “Sarasari Mukhyamantri” (Direct to CM). This programme will allow people to directly communicate their grievances to her through a helpline. Previously, individuals would write letters or send emails to the chief minister, but now they will have the opportunity to speak directly with her regarding their issues.
During the launch at the state secretariat, Mamata Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress supremo, emphasized that this programme will enable the people of West Bengal to directly express their grievances. A dedicated helpline number, 9137091370, will be operational from Monday to Saturday between 10 am and 6 pm.
Following the Trinamool Congress’s poor performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Mamata Banerjee initiated the “Didi Ke Bolo” (Tell Didi) programme, which provided a helpline number and a website for people to interact directly with party functionaries. However, the Chief Minister clarified that the “Sarasari Mukhyamantri” programme is not politically motivated, unlike “Didi Ke Bolo”.
Mamata Banerjee assured that all complaints received through the helpline would be given equal priority. To handle the influx of grievances, 500 call centres have been established, and over 100 individuals will be assigned to address the issues. The Chief Minister personally pledged to oversee the operations and urged all officers to ensure swift resolution of the problems. She also directed the chief secretary to establish a mechanism for effective complaint management.
The launch of the “Sarasari Mukhyamantri” programme coincided with the announcement of the date for the upcoming panchayat election, scheduled for July 8. This initiative adds to the series of mass outreach programs previously launched by the Trinamool Congress, including “Duare Sarkar” (Government at doorstep), “Didir Doot” (Didi’s messenger), and “Trinamool-e Nabajoar” (New wave in Trinamool).
According to a statement released by the state government, the CMO-Grievance Cell, established in October 2019 to address citizens’ concerns, has already handled 22 lakh grievances received through various channels such as phone calls, SMS, letters, emails, and Bangla Sahayata Kendras (BSK).
