Perform or perish: Mamata sends out clear message at block admin meet

Banerjee held the first block level administrative review meeting at Jhargram on Tuesday. She went to Jhargram straightway after attending a facility distribution programme at Narayangarh on Monday.

The meeting headed by Banerjee was attended by MP Mukul Roy, the state transport minister Suvendu Adhikary, the minister of the state water resource investigation and development department Soumen Mahapatra. The district’s Superintendent of Police Bharati Ghosh, District Magistrate Jagadish Prasad Meena and other senior officers were also present in the meeting.

Sources said that Banerjee first motivated the officers to work for the development of the state as it is only way to benefit people of various government projects. While discussing about the progress of work of the forest department, she raised concerns over the incidents in which people got affected after elephants entered villages. 

It is learnt that she was unhappy over the performance of the forest department. After knowing about the incidents of attacks by elephants, she had asked to recruit people. She urged everyone to work and to tell her clearly if he or she cannot perform the task. But as there was no progress in this regard, Banerjee urged the Chief Secretary Basudeb Banerjee to look into the matter, sources said. 

The meeting that started at around 1.30 pm continued for around one and a half hours. She said after the meeting that there was discussions on various issues mainly about the present status of various projects and schemes including 100 days work for the rural populace, Khadya Sathi, tourism and law and order situation. Banerjee said: “There was a good progress of work in the district. The officials were busy for 3 months due to the elections and it resulted to the slowdown in the progress of the development work. The remaining work will also get completed within the stipulated time.”

There was also discussion to make the Kishan Bazar functional as early as possible. The functioning of the new hospital and the work of the new college that has already started. She further said that the Jhargram, Kalimpong and Asansol would be the new districts soon. Jhargram has already become the police district and the women police station has also come up. The work of the administrative building is almost complete.

In reply to a question on the attack by elephants on villagers, she said the count of elephants is going up in the state. The elephants are entering the state from Odisha and Jharkhand. 

The forest department has been asked to look into the matter and to take necessary steps. “We cannot be inhumane to elephants but at the same time initiatives need to be taken so that people do not face any inconvenience,” she said.