Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday made it clear that his government would probe the irregularities of the previous government, while assuring bureaucrats that they would be allowed to work freely, provided they maintained transparency.
The message came during a meeting with senior bureaucrats at Nabanna after the cabinet meeting, in which secretaries of 15 major departments, including finance, PHE, urban development, land and land reforms, and industries, were present, along with five ministers who had taken oath with the chief minister.
Bengal chief electoral officer, Manoj Agarwal, who was appointed chief secretary later in the evening, was also present at the meeting.
“I will not spare those who have issued bogus caste certificates during the SIR. I have files with me in this regard,” the chief minister was quoted as saying during the meeting.
The chief minister also asked how non-existent people had received funds to construct dwelling units under the Banglar Bari scheme.
Last year, the previous government had allotted ₹1.20 lakh each to 16 lakh beneficiaries to construct dwelling units after the Centre had stopped the release of funds under the PM Awas Yojana.
“I will ask the panchayat department to look into how non-existent individuals received funds under the Awas Yojana. It is surprising that people who don’t exist received funds under the scheme,” an official quoted the chief minister as saying.
Adhikari also said that his government would look into the “irregularities” that took place during the Covid-19 period.
Sources in the administration said that the chief minister was perhaps referring to the allegations that cropped up over the procurement of several pieces of equipment during the Covid period.
“The Mamata Banerjee government had an inquiry conducted by the home secretary. The inquiry cleared all the officers against whom allegations were levelled,” said an official.
Bureaucrats present in the meeting said that Adhikari made it clear that he would not tolerate any kind of irregularities.
“The chief minister said that all the bureaucrats should work properly by keeping notes on the files. He also said that his government would not follow in the footsteps of the previous government,” said an official present at the meeting.
Asking the officials to keep notes on files assumed significance as many in the administration said that it perhaps referred to the previous tenure, where the files often missed notes by the senior officials.
“Several instructions used to come to us verbally. When we prepared the files on those issues, those were sent back to us without any signature from the chief minister’s office and verbal instructions were given to follow, asking us what we had to do. We were forced to carry forward the work without proper file noting. As work was done without proper noting on files or instructions from the top, we would have been liable, in case of irregularities,” said an official.
With the instruction to write down notes properly on the files, everybody will be accountable for any action taken, and this would help officials work without any fear.
“Initially, we had raised questions about why there was no note from the CMO on major files. But our objections had fallen on deaf ears,” said a bureaucrat.
The chief minister also asked the officials to take care of applications submitted under the CAA, saying that the previous government did not look into the applications, leaving thousands of applicants from bordering districts in trouble.
The department secretaries were asked to ensure that all central schemes were implemented in the stateimmediately.
“It will be our responsibility to ensure that funds are released in these schemes,” Adhikari was quoted as saying.
The chief minister assured the bureaucrats that they could work without fear, and they could spend money wherever needed, but they should prevent unnecessary expenditure.
“This is not my government. This is our government. All you have to do is work following rules and regulations,” the chief minister was quoted as saying.
A section of bureaucrats said that the assurance from the chief minister was required as many, who had been branded as close to the previous regime, were apprehensive.
“Many of you were forced to commit irregularities. In some cases, you could have said no. But you did not do that. Now, you work properly, maintaining all rules,” the chief minister was quoted as saying.
He also said that the officers should not do anything to please him, as they had done during the previous government.
“You should not write inspired by the chief minister like you did in the past,” an official quoted the chief minister as saying.