Kolkata, July 1 (IANS) In his first meeting with West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) officers as the new and the ninth Chief Minister of the state, Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday directed bureaucrats from the state civil service cadre to operate impartially and without any sort of political bias, including towards the ruling party in the state.

A bureaucrat present at the meeting said that, in his first interaction with state civil service officers, CM Adhikari clearly stated that, unlike the previous Mamata Banerjee-led and Trinamool Congress-ruled state government, the new regime led by him would not use the state government machinery for narrow political purposes.

“The Chief Minister clearly stated that neither he nor the new state government led by him believes in turning bureaucrats into political cadres like the previous regime. Rather, the Chief Minister emphasised that attention should be paid to ensuring that public services are provided without any sort of political bias and that a radical change is brought in the style of administrative functioning witnessed during the previous regime,” the bureaucrat from the state civil service cadre present at the meeting with the Chief Minister said.

Similarly, he added, the Chief Minister also said that the new state government led by him would make every effort to accord professional status and respect to state civil service officers in accordance with their seniority in service.

“The Chief Minister emphasised that it was the responsibility of the state government led by him to maintain administrative conduct and professional relations,” the bureaucrat said.

It is learnt that at the meeting with the WBCS officers, the Chief Minister also observed that during the previous regime several efficient bureaucrats were unable to function properly because of undue pressure from the erstwhile ruling party.

The Chief Minister reportedly emphasised that bureaucrats from the state civil service cadre should move away from the style of functioning to which they had become accustomed during the previous regime, while he remained open to suggestions from them in the interest of the overall development of the state.

He also hinted that, henceforth, bureaucrats from the state civil service cadre would be rewarded solely on the basis of their performance.

CM Adhikari also advised the WBCS officers present at the meeting to exercise caution while spending from the state exchequer and to avoid unnecessary and unproductive expenditure.

Finally, the Chief Minister specifically instructed the bureaucrats to remain completely free from corruption in matters relating to expenditure from the state exchequer.

–IANS

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