Armed with request slips, handwritten notes, and voices raised in community meetings, residents of the Darjeeling district are now witnessing their demands being turned into action within weeks.

At the Amader Para, Amader Samadhan (APAS), and Duare Sarkar (DS) camps conducted across the hills and plains in the district, the residents have gone beyond asking for infrastructure projects or routine services.

They sought health camps, night camps in tea gardens and forest areas, digital literacy training for women, career counselling for students, awareness drives on landslides and even initiatives to rejuvenate the drying springs of the hills.

The administration responded by rolling out these services, shaping a model of governance that rests entirely on community demand.

Preeti Goyal, the district magistrate of Darjeeling, visited one of the first APAS camps and noticed that villagers were voicing requests that did not fit into the regular scheme list.

She directed her team to record every appeal, design a request form and plan delivery.

“In Matigara (block of Siliguri subdivision), the residents demanded healthcare facilities closer to their homes. Our administration organised a medical camp that drew more than 1,000 people. Around 379 received consultations from paediatricians, gynaecologists, ophthalmologists and general physicians,” said Goyal.

Similarly, at Sukhiapokhri (in the hills), tea garden workers complained that they were unable to attend daytime camps because of work.

“We acted on the request by holding a night camp, the first of its kind in the district. Young people asked for guidance on careers, and our administration responded with a counselling session attended by more than 100 students,” she added.

The villagers said that such initiatives showed that the administration was serious about reaching out to those who usually remained excluded.

“For us, this was the first time specialist doctors came to the village, instead of us travelling to Siliguri to consult them. We had no idea that the administration would take such swift action on the health camp demand. It was very helpful for us,” said a woman who attended the health camp with her children in Matigara.

Sources in the administration said that as a solution to the stray dog menace around North Bengal Medical College & Hospital, an issue that was flagged at the APAS camps, the survey and planning work had been completed, and the district administration would start sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs from Wednesday.

“Camps for agricultural services, legal services, and learner’s licences for driving were also organised under APAS/DS camps. At another camp, women aged between 18 and 30 requested sessions on digital literacy. A one-week training course was immediately rolled out for 40 women, who learnt basic computer skills to improve their education and employability,” said a source in the administration.

In the hills, a section of villagers expressed fears about landslides and the drying up of local springs. The DM also stated that the administration moved swiftly with
two initiatives.

“More than 1,500 people attended awareness programmes on landslide preparedness, complete with pamphlets, street plays, and short films. Simultaneously, under the district’s ‘Jeewan Dhara’ campaign, we are working with villagers to conserve and rejuvenate ‘jhoras’ (natural springs),” said Goyal.

The upcoming events which have been planned on the basis of requests received at the APAS camps include awareness drives on child marriage and superstition and more night camps in tea gardens and forest areas.

“Our role is to listen and act. When the community tells us what they need, it is our responsibility to respond,” said the district magistrate.