The Congress is going to launch a massive outreach program to reach 12 crore persons in a month to collect data about Covid and Sonia Gandhi will write personal condolence messages to those who lost their kin during the pandemic.

In a Statement issued by K.C. Venugopal, General Secretary, Organisation, on Wednesday, the party said, “This outreach program aims to cover approx 3 crore households in 30 days thereby indirectly touching approximately 12 crore people (at an average of 4 members per family). Total expected feet on ground would be 1,51,340 at the peak of the campaign.”

The Congress will push 10 workers per block and 10 workers per town area and designate them as “Covid Warriors” to collect data and relay the information thus collected through BCCs/DCCs/PCCs to the AICC Control Room/Data Department, thus covering 7,199 Blocks and 7,935 Towns in 736 Districts of the country.

Each party worker will visit a minimum of 10 to 15 households per day during the period of 30 days, expectedly covering total of not less than 200 households in 30 days. Carrying a questionnaire with questions like – Was anyone from your family infected by Covid-19; Has any family member died due to Covid-19; Their name and age; Was he/she the bread winner of the family; Has anyone in your family lost his/her job due to Covid-19 lockdown; Any support that they may be needing (ration, job, education, financial support) etc?

The teams visiting the families in consultation with PCC will facilitate delivery of government approved medicine kits; will deliver mask/sanitiser; will help in delivery of ration/food for extremely vulnerable families and also help arrange vaccination registration and will coordinate with ambulance service as provided by the INC in affected areas.

“Congress President Sonia Gandhi and respective PCC Presidents will also be writing condolence letters to the next of kin of those who passed away due to the pandemic,” the statement said.

The party seeks to reach out to frontline health workers as also those severely affected by the pandemic with a helping hand.

A subsidiary aim is also to gather primary data of Covid affected families, patients and deceased.

The Pradesh Congress Committees in states will be setting up a control room at their respective PCC offices. PCCs and District Congress Committees & City Congress Committees (CCCs) will be appointing minimum one point person as a coordinator per Block or Corporation or Ward (relevant administrative area) to monitor activities in his/her Block for the duration of the campaign.

An information campaign on Covid through leaflets and SMS services will also be run to create awareness amongst people in general as also for Covid affected families for a period of 30 days.