Kolkata, Jan 21 (NDTV): All children in primary school in West Bengal must have shoes, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has said, and the state government will foot the bill.

The chief minister has sanctioned Rs. 154 crore for the scheme and announced it on Facebook, recounting how meeting some children attending school barefoot spurred her to act.

"Yesterday on my way to 'Mati Utsav' at Burdwan, I had met a group of children in a Primary school. I was touched to see many of them in barefoot. (sic) I had immediately advised my Education Department to take steps so that all Primary school children get shoes," Ms Banerjee said in her Facebook post.

Her government, she said, sanctioned Rs. 154 crore the very next day for distribution of shoes to students from class 1 to 4 in the state, adding, "Again it proves - we do what we say."

As assembly elections draw near, several of Ms Banerjee's posts are about "We do what we say." She had recently announced a bicycle scheme, cash awards for farmers and has in the last few days inaugurated a number of development projects in what is being seen as an attempt to beat the model code of conduct which will be enforced sometime next month and will disallow the announcement of new sops.

Mamata Banerjee, who seeks a second straight term as chief minister, has been accused by political rivals of a poor record on development.

The 61-year-old Trinamool Congress chief had swept into power in 2011 on a promise of change or parivartan in a state ruled by the Left for 33 years. Rivals allege there has been no change for the better.

The BJP, a minor player in the state so far but now attempting to get a firm foothold, has decided that it will not project anyone for chief minister in the assembly elections and will ask the people of Bengal to choose between Mamata Banerjee and development.