Express News Service
NEW DELHI: While BJP has faced criticism for being a ‘round the year election machinery’, the saffron outfit is seeking to give a major push to its social agenda, readying four lakh health volunteers across the country along with Poshan Abhiyan (nutrition mission). Under the watch of BJP chief J P Nadda, national office-bearers are tuning in to the social agenda in a big way, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah helms the political tasks of the outfit.
Seeking to gain from the experiences of two waves of the Covid-19 pandemic, BJP is roping in two volunteers each in about two lakh villages across the country who will be trained to act as intermediaries during healthcare needs of people in the rural parts. Additionally, the women’s wing of BJP has been asked to focus on the nutrition mission and tend to the needs of women and children in rural areas to help achieve the aim of reducing maternal and infant mortality rates.
Nadda is learnt to be focussing on the social agenda during his virtual conferences with party functionaries from states and the national office-bearers. This is in addition to the outfit taking up the Garib Kalyan agenda in which party workers distribute ration kits to the poor.
“Volunteers who reached out to help people affected by the pandemic are being enlisted for a regular role in rural areas. Out of over 6.70 lakh volunteers associated with the party, four lakh have been enlisted as health volunteers, who will be trained by the Chikashtak Koshtha (doctors’ cell) of the BJP in basic health works,” said a senior BJP functionary.
BJP national general secretary D Purandeswari, while speaking to The New Indian Express, said the social agenda of the party is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision that the aim of coming to power is to serve the people.
“Experience gained during the two waves will form the background for the works of the health volunteers, who will act as the first line of assistance for people in villages for healthcare needs and also in times of medical emergencies,” said the functionary.
