Bringing Governance to the Doorstep: An Empirical Study of Duare Sarkar in West Bengal

This study investigates impact of the Duare Sarkar programme, a flagship governance initiative, launched by the Government of West Bengal (India) in December 2020, to ensure doorstep delivery of public services in West Bengal. Conducted in a single block of Bankura district, the research adopts basically qualitative interviews to evaluate citizens’ experiences with selected services, including Lakshmir Bhandar, Swasthya Sathi, ration card services, caste certificates, old age pensions, and land-related services. Findings reveal a high level of citizen satisfaction, particularly with the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, which was successfully accessed by all surveyed beneficiaries. Health, ration, and pension services were also widely appreciated for their efficiency. However, significant dissatisfaction was observed in land-related services, attributed to bureaucratic delays and uncooperative departmental staff. Although the localized scope of the study limits its generalizability, it offers critical insights into both the successes and service delivery gaps within the Duare Sarkar framework. The paper concludes by recommending targeted administrative reforms, digital inclusion strategies, and expanded research to build a more equitable and effective public service delivery model.