Better training ahead: Govt set to open 3 civic service training centres in Bengal

Kolkata: In its bid to provide enhanced training to civil services aspirants the Bengal government has decided to set up three civic service training centres in the state.

After seeing the success of the Administrative Training Institute in Salt Lake, the state government felt the need for opening more such training institute to produce higher numbers of civil servants from the state.

The Mamata Banerjee government not only encouraged the students to appear in both the state and national civil service examinations but also constructed the Administrative Training Institute to aid them to realise their dreams. The government has received an encouraging response as a good number of students have successfully cracked various civil service exams after undergoing training from the state-owned training institute.

State Finance minister Amit Mitra in his Budget had announced three new civil service academies each at Kolkata, Siliguri and Durgapur. They have been named after 'Mahatma Gandhi', 'Jai Hind' and 'Azad' respectively.

The entire fraternity of the civil servants in the state has welcomed the move by the government as it would be immensely beneficial for the budding civil servants across the state.

Civil service aspirants who want to join these institutes will have to qualify through an admission test. Those who have already cracked the West Bengal Civil Service Exam or the UPSC preliminary exam will be eligible for direct admission.

The course fee will be affordable. According to a plan, some retired IAS officers will take classes. They will be assisted by a few serving IAS officers.

The proposed academies will provide comprehensive training to the civic servant aspirants and others who have been trying to get into a government job. The State Finance department has allocated Rs 15 crore in the next financial year 2020-21, for the smooth implementation of the project.

It may also be mentioned here that the state government started coaching the candidates preparing for the Union Public Service Commission exam, through which IAS, IPS and IFS officers are selected.

The decision to open the centre was taken following a prod from the Chief Minister, who had on a number of occasions complained about the dearth of IAS and IPS officers from the state.