Trinamool claims Tamil Nadu’s new outreach scheme inspired by Bengal initiative

The Trinamool Congress leadership has criticized the Tamil Nadu government’s recent launch of ‘Namma Ooru, Namma Arasu‘The initiative was inspired by West Bengal’Amader Money Amader Samadhan‘ (APAS) programme.

“Bengal is ahead, India is following! Tamil Nadu has taken action’Namma Ooru, Namma Arasu‘(Our village, our government) is inspired by the groundbreaking inventions of Bengal’Amader Money Amader Samadhan‘ (Our neighbourhood, our decision)…” Trinamool Congress shared a post on social media platform X.

The APAS campaign, announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in July 2025, is a flagship initiative aimed at institutionalizing participatory governance. The West Bengal government has allocated ₹ 10 lakh for each polling booth and a total of ₹ 8,000 crore for 80,000 polling booths across the State.

Under this initiative, 27,000 APAS camps have been set up in West Bengal. In a series of social media posts, the Trinamool Congress described Ms. Banerjee as a “visionary who knows the way, walks the way and shows the way” and added that “Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow.”

Tamil Nadu recently ‘Namma Ooru Namma Arasu‘ plan came into limelight on Saturday when Prime Minister MK Stalin addressed almost 10,000 Gram Sabha meetings. Under the initiative, Gram Sabha decisions will be followed and implemented across the state.

The Trinamool government led by Ms. Banerjee had earlier launched welfare schemes such as: Duare Sarkar (on the government’s doorstep) described it as an “astonishing achievement”. Ms. Banerjee is also credited with introducing: kanyashree program that provides financial assistance to school-going girls. Trinamool leadership, Union government Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme inspired Kanyashree.

While questions remain about the impact of some of these schemes, especially given that West Bengal continues to report one of the highest instances of child marriage, the Trinamool Congress-ruled State government has introduced more than 50 welfare schemes. Ms. Banerjee has often said that her administration has “plans that can come to the aid of an individual from birth to death.”