With days to go for parivartan in Bengalparty has already initiated preparations for changing admin/police- gears up to deliver change-May 06, 2011

Trinamool gears up to deliver change

Ravik Bhattacharya, Hindustan Times
Kolkata, May 06, 2011

With days to go for parivartan in Bengal or so as Trinamool Congress hopes, the party has already initiated preparations for changing the state administration and the police. The aim is to bring in smooth governance if Trinamool comes to power. The party is drawing up a list of high-profil e bureaucrats who have been working for the CPI(M) and will be shunted. Simultaneously, a list of fresh and efficient officers is being drawn up,to head the government if Trinamool comes to power.

“The Left Front government reappointed several officials. Some were promoted out of turn, superseding seniors. If and when the new government comes to power, they will not work for us and may sabotage our plans. We have already drawn up a list of officials and all orders of the Left Front government,” said Kamal Chakraborty, secretary of West Bengal Secretariat Officers Forum. There are 250 such officers working in different secretariats on the Trinamool list.

According to Trinamool sources, a list of new posts hurriedly created by the Left Front government has several anomalies. “A staggering 372 new posts have been created recently in the municipal affairs department. They have put their own people in these posts,” said Chakraborty. The unions at Writers’ Buildings held a convention on April 22 and 23, where Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee was present. A detailed road map was chalked out for streamlining the government.

The party has also drawn up a list of IPS officers who allegedly favoured the CPI(M). They were posted in crucial districts such as Burdwan, West Midnapore, Hooghly and Bankura. Trinamool Congress chief and Chatterjee had, on several occasions, named corrupt IPS officers and warned them of dire consequences after polls.

The party is also drawing up a list of IAS and IPS officers who are efficient and have been sidelined by the Left. Many of them are expected to get prime postings if the new government comes to power. Mamata Banerjee, Mukul Roy and Chatterjee had also picked former bureaucrats and IPS officers who recently joined the party.

Former IPS officers such as Rachpal Singh, Sultan Singh, HS Safwi, Upen Biswas, CM Jatua and others are helping the Trinamool chief. Efforts are already on to communicate with ‘efficient officers’.

According to party sources, Banerjee wants an efficient government and bring back work culture in and outside Writers’ Buildings. For years, the Left had a huge clout among the around 8 lakh state government employees. The Trinamool is trying to break the stranglehold. “After the new government comes to power, the primary objective will be development. She will need efficient workforce. We fear that some officials running the government are all pro-CPI(M) and will hinder our work. Change will come in all spheres,” said a senior Trinamool leader.