Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday stated that her government would always stand by the employees involved in the voter list revision work.
Her statement came on a day when the ECI summoned Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to Delhi to explain the state government’s decision not to suspend just yet its officers alleged to have committed “irregularities” in electoral roll revision, as directed by the poll panel.
Banerjee also expressed serious concern over recent murders in Bengal and called for greater accountability among senior police officials, it was learnt.
Speaking at a meeting on the ‘Amader Para Amader Samadhan’ (APAS) initiative, chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and attended by District Magistrates and Police Superintendents, Banerjee emphasised that law and order should not be solely the responsibility of police station officers-in-charge.
In the past two months, three Trinamool Congress leaders—Sikander Khan of Sonamukhi (Bankura), Sanjib Roy of Cooch Behar and Pintu Chakraborty of Konnagar (Hooghly)—have been killed. The Chief Minister instructed the police to take prompt action against crimes and questioned the Intelligence Branch on the delay in receiving timely intelligence inputs.
Sources at Nabanna indicated that the Chief Minister emphasised the effective implementation of ‘Amader Para Amader Samadhan’. She insisted that public grievances should be addressed swiftly and that officials must diligently fulfill their duties. On another note, the Chief Minister addressed concerns about notices sent from Assam and other states, urging officials not to be intimidated.
“Don’t be afraid—work fearlessly on the voter list; the government stands with you,” Banerjee said. She ordered strict monitoring of data entry operators, warning that errors would not be tolerated. Banerjee voiced concern over the flood in Murshidabad, directing officials to speed up relief and rescue operations.