Congress launches nationwide outreach program to help COVID-19 affected people

On Wednesday, the Indian National Congress announced that it will undertake a nationwide outreach campaign to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also gather data on coronavirus-infected patients and those who have died of the disease. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal informed that the party president Sonia Gandhi and state unit presidents will also be writing condolence letters to the next of kin of those who passed away due to COVID.

Taking to Twitter, Venugopal said, "Pursuant to extensive humanitarian and service-driven efforts of crores of Congressmen and women, driven by the national Covid task force, Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs), and Covid relief committees, the Congress has decided to launch a nationwide outreach campaign".

"This outreach program aims to cover approximately three crore households in 30 days, thereby indirectly touching approximately 12 crore people at an average of four members per family. Also, through this effort, the party seeks to reach out to frontline health workers as also to those severely affected by the pandemic with a helping hand,"  he said.

Venugopal said the total expected feet on the ground would be 1,51,340 at the peak of the campaign and a subsidiary aim is also to gather primary data of COVID-affected families, patients, and the deceased.

'PCCs to set up control rooms': Venugopal

As part of the campaign, PCCs in states will be setting up a control room at their respective offices. 

"PCCs and district congress committees (DCCs) and city congress committees (CCCs) will be appointing a minimum of one point person as a coordinator per block or corporation or ward to monitor activities in his/her block for the duration of the campaign," the senior Congress leader said.

Congress to introduce 'COVID Warriors'

Further, the block or town area presidents will be identifying 10 workers who have been active in helping people during the pandemic in every block and every town. These workers will be designated as ''COVID warriors'' and will collect data from the ground and forward the information collected through BCCs, DCCs and PCCs to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) control room or the party's data department, he added.

In coordination with the AICC social media team, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and all former legislators will be holding virtual meetings to educate, motivate and explain the task to these identified ''COVID warriors''. Each designated ''Covid warrior'' is expected to visit a minimum of 10 to 15 households per day during the period of 30 days, expectedly covering a total of not less than 200 households in 30 days, Venugopal said.

Venugopal said the teams visiting the families in consultation with PCCs will facilitate the delivery of government-approved medicine kits, masks, and sanitizers. The teams will also help in the delivery of ration and food for extremely vulnerable families and also help arrange vaccination registration and coordinate with ambulance service as provided by the Congress in affected areas, he added.

The campaign will cover 7,199 blocks and 7,935 towns in 736 districts of the country. In order to create awareness among people, an information campaign on COVID through leaflets and SMS services will run and also for COVID-affected families for a period of 30 days.

(Image Credits: PTI)