West Bengal’s newly appointed chief secretary Manoj Agarwal delivered a firm message to the state bureaucracy and urged all bureaucrats to return to professional and regulation-based administration, assuring that governance would function autonomously free from “political interference.”
west Bengal’s newly appointed chief secretary Manoj Agarwal delivered a firm message to the state bureaucracy and urged all bureaucrats to return to professional and regulation-based administration, assuring that governance would function autonomously free from “political interference.”
Addressing secretaries of all state departments in his inaugural high-level meeting at Nabanna after taking office on Tuesday, the 1990-batch IAS officer emphasised that officials must serve with honesty and confidence.
“Work with your spine upright. If you work sincerely, there is no reason to bow,” Agarwal told the officers, reminding them of their constitutional duties as IAS officers.
Soon after assuming charge from his earlier role as the state’s Chief Electoral Officer, Agarwal directed departments to accelerate implementation of several Central government schemes that had remained pending in the state.
Sources present in the meeting said that Agarwal has instructed all departments to draft plans for carrying out promises mentioned in the BJP’s “Sankalp Patra.”
The administrative initiative came a day after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari issued strict instructions to district administrations on law enforcement and corruption control.
The chief minister on the very first day at the state secretariat had directed all district magistrates and superintendents of police to ensure that cattle smuggling is halted across borders and highways.
He also instructed the state administration to adopt a “zero tolerance” policy against coal and sand smuggling.
The Chief Minister additionally cautioned against syndicate activities and extortion in the real estate sector.
District officials have been instructed to prevent encroachment on government land and take immediate measures against illegal constructions.
Additionally, after newly-elected MLAs take oath, district magistrates have been instructed to hold meetings with legislators and panchayat representatives to resume pending development works.
Political observers believe the new government has initiated a broader effort to depoliticise the bureaucracy and restore administrative accountability.
Agarwal’s emphasis on officials keeping their “spine upright,” coupled with the Chief Minister’s repeated calls for a corruption-free administration, is being viewed as an indirect warning to sections of the bureaucracy associated with the previous regime.
Notably, during the recently-concluded Assembly elections, Manoj Agarwal served as the state’s Chief Electoral Officer.
Administrative circles had speculated that experienced bureaucrats such as Agarwal and retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta could be brought back to significant positions if there was a shift in power, largely due to their role in supervising what many described as one of Bengal’s fairest elections in years.