Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said the government had cleared the way for the CBI to take action against officials accused in corruption cases related to recruitment irregularities in schools and civic bodies, emphasising that the administration would maintain a strict zero-tolerance stance on graft.

Addressing a press conference at Nabanna, he alleged that the previous government had delayed granting the CBI permission to proceed in four corruption cases involving senior officials for nearly four years.

Before being sworn in as the chief minister on Sat, May 9, Suvendu Adhikari in his first speech after Union home minister Amit Shah had declared his name as the new chief minister said that he would abide by principle of ‘less talk, more work’.

"The previous government had blocked four CBI cases for the last four years. Under the law, the CBI or an investigating agency requires sanction from the state government to file charge sheets, prosecutions, or initiate action against government officials accused of corruption," Adhikari said.

He claimed the TMC government "deliberately withheld those permissions to shield corrupt bureaucrats and officials".

"We have now granted the necessary sanction to the CBI against officials linked to corruption in three departments. Copies of the approval have already been sent to the agency," the chief minister added.

Adhikari said the approvals relate to cases concerning alleged irregularities in teacher recruitment under the education department, municipal affairs department recruitment scams and investigations linked to the cooperative department that are being monitored by courts.

He pointed out that the BJP had repeatedly promised "zero tolerance" towards corruption during the election campaign and asserted the new government has begun working on it.

Asserting that people have high expectations from the new government, Adhikari said, "We repeatedly spoke about a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption during the campaign. Action against institutional corruption was also part of our party's manifesto." "In the coming days, people of the state will witness more such measures," he added.