Stop using pilot cars, be cautious while signing papers: CM tells ministers

kolkata: Cautioning her ministers, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday asked her Cabinet colleagues to be alert and "to go through any documents thoroughly before signing them". She also informed that the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) would now allot specific work for the Ministers of State for execution.

Banerjee asked the ministers not to use beacons atop cars or pilot cars while travelling as she believes that such acts weaken the relationship with the common people.

This was Banerjee's first meeting since August 3 when eight new faces were inducted in the ministry with two of them Tajmul Hossain and Satyajit Barman being reinstated as Minister of State for MSME and School Education department respectively.

The new ministers who have been given ministerial berths include Babul Supriyo, Snehashish Chakraborty, Partha Bhowmik, Udayan Guha, Pradip Majumder, Biplab Roy Chowdhury , Tajmul Hossain and Satyajit Barman.

"There were often allegations that the Ministers of State did not have any constructive work. So specific work will be assigned to them from now on," a senior official of Nabanna said.

A minister said on conditions of anonymity that Banerjee has told them that the BJP is trying to trap them so they have to be cautious and take additional measures to maintain their clean image.

She expressed her ire against a minister and senior leader of North 24-Parganas and said that she was getting many complaints against him.

She advised them to sit in tea shops and try to connect with the people.

She told her ministers that they have to take additional initiative to ensure that the work is done and should not think that their role is only to give instructions. It may be noted that the Central government had in 2017 banned all kinds of beacon lights for VVIPs other than those who are involved in emergency and disaster management duties.