Archana

Tamluk, May 18: If Mamata Banerjee is looking for someone to clean up the Augean stables of Writers’, the civil servants in East Midnapore may recommend Dr Archana.

Not that the WBCS officers there are particularly impressed with the district magistrate but they will do anything to get her off their backs.

The officers have sought transfers to protest Archana’s “abusive behaviour” and setting of “unrealistic targets”.

The DM termed the officers’ complaints “baseless”. “I had asked the officers to carry out development work but they refused,” she alleged.

The officers have also decided to “boycott” all meetings called by DM Archana. At a meeting of the district’s WBCS Officers’ Association yesterday, it was decided that owing to the “behaviour and attitude of Dr Archana”, the government will be requested “to make arrangements for the immediate transfer of all WBCS officers” of East Midnapore out of the district.

The meeting was attended by over 35 officers ranging from the rank of additional district magistrates (ADMs) to block development officers. A copy of the meeting’s minutes has been sent to the zilla parishad sabhadipati and the district magistrate herself.

The meeting noted that Archana “always uses offensive words in meetings with officers and sets unrealistic time frames for completion of work”. The DM also “rebukes” senior officers, including ADMs, in front of Group-D staff, it was recorded at the meeting.

According to the minutes of the meeting, “the entire development process depends on the whimsical attitude of the DM”. The WBCS officers alleged that Archana took major decisions late in the night and “expected the officers concerned to implement them by the next morning”.

They alleged that the DM had not sanctioned the leave applications of BDOs, sub-divisional officer and ADMs in the past three months although “she herself took leave several times, even during the elections period”.

“It is resolved that all officers should go out of the district as it appears they are not fit for serving this district magistrate. The house resolves unanimously to move the government in the appropriate level for arranging the immediate transfer of all WBCS (executive) officers of this district and place such officers here who might have the tolerance and efficiency to work under the DM,” it was resolved at the meeting.

Till such time, “no officer of our cadre will attend any meeting where the DM will remain present”, it was decided at the meeting. “No meeting, except for emergencies, would be attended by us if convened beyond normal office hours.”

Archana allegedly sent two videographers to the meeting but they were turned away by the officers.

Mahamud Hussain, the deputy chief of the zilla parishad, said: “Development work will be hampered if this continues. After the new government is formed, we shall request it to transfer the DM.”

In March, 14 district officers had complained to the chief secretary that Archana “misbehaved with her subordinates. They had sought transfer, saying it was “insufferable” to work under the DM.