BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday claimed that chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s letter to WBCS officers on Tuesday tried to influence bureaucrats who would oversee the upcoming processes of the special intensive revision (SIR).

The leader of the Opposition claimed Mamata was biased towards WBPS officers.

In a post on X citing Mamata’s letter, Adhikari claimed she was trying to subtly remind the WBCS officers how they benefited from her government and “in a veiled way tried to make them aware of the possibility that they will have to sit and discuss about their issues with her in future (implying after the elections).”

“The Chief Minister suddenly lauding the contributions of WBCS Officers and reminding them of their ‘allegiance to the Government’ exposes a patronizing tone, using administrative toil as leverage for loyalty. This is nothing but an attempt to intimidate the WBCS Officers. However, has she actually walked the talk?” he asked. “The Mamata Banerjee Govt in West Bengal has systematically demonstrated a clear bias towards the West Bengal Police Service (WBPS) over the West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) cadre.”

In the letter that Adhikari brought up, Mamata wished the civil servants well for the New Year and underscored steps for their well-being, such as separate pay rules, increase in higher-level posts from 163 to 350, more promotion opportunities, two extra increments at certain career levels, annual health check-ups, plots at the Aitika housing project in New Town and online submissions of suspicious activity reports and asset statements.

“I promise that I will definitely sit with you again in the future and I will be with you in the future to make your workplace safer and better.... I know that the WBCS (Exe) officers have to work under many difficulties in the work of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) that is currently going on, but know that the state government is with you in this difficult time and will be with you in the future.”

Adhikari claimed the WBCS officers were deprived in contrast to their WBPS counterparts under Mamata’s rule. He underlined four allegations — arbitrary and politically motivated transfers, unequal promotion opportunities and career progression, disparity in DA rates and substandard housing and
accommodation.

He claimed her government’s policies “created a two-tier system”, the “lower pedestal” for WBCS officers and a “much superior and favorable platform” for WBPS officers.