Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked department secretaries and district magistrates to ensure that the Jana Sanjog Programme — the new outreach initiative announced by the chief minister on Tuesday — was implemented properly before making it clear that she would not hesitate to take stern action against those found guilty of dereliction of duty.

“We have to make the programme successful.... If required, cancel all leaves. A section of employees is not cooperating with the government. We will initiate stern measures against them,” the chief minister was quoted as saying during a meeting with the secretaries of the departments and district magistrates.

The Jana Sanjog programme will be held from January 20 to February 12. Those people who have been left out of the government’s welfare schemes can register their names through the programme which will be held at the booth level.

“The state has a total of 78,000 booths and each camp will be manned by three officials. As the programme will involve a huge number of employees at the grassroots, the chief minister made it a point to warn that she wouldn’t tolerate inefficiency,” said a senior bureaucrat.

Sources also said Mamata made it clear during the meeting that the government employees should come out of their lackadaisical attitude and work hard to make the programme successful.

“They should not go out early on Fridays and if required they need to work on Saturdays too... The government will keep a tab on all these,” the chief minister was quoted as saying.