West Bengal TMC wing to register 1 lakh youth to aid people hit by COVID-19, Amphan crises

Kolkata: West Bengal Trinamool Youth Congress president Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday said his outfit has launched a programme which will bring together one lakh youth on a single platform to fight against COVID-19 and take part in the relief work in the aftermath of the cyclone.

The initiative -- 'Banglar Jubo shakti' -- will unite one lakh "motivated" youth who are willing to help people in their neighbourhoods and communities amid the crises, he said.

Banerjee, a TMC Lok Sabha MP and nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, asked young men and women of the state to register for the programme online.

"Bengal is currently battling with countless challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the large- scale devastation caused by the Cyclone Amphan.

During such trying times, it is imperative for the youth of Bengal to come together and stand in support of the people around them, and to do their part in providing relief to the ones in distress," the website launched for the cause said.

Calling upon all young people to come forward and be a part of the programme, the TMC MP said, "Political differences among people will remain, but we must together fight the present crisis that the coronavirus is posing."

In a video message, Banerjee also said that the people of West Bengal have faced the double whammy of the coronavirus outbreak and cyclone Amphan.

The state is striving hard to restore normalcy, he said, insisting that collective effort by all will help in putting up a stronger fight against the pandemic.

"Politics will always be a part of democracy, but lives of people are of foremost importance," he added.