Kolkata: In a major move, the Mamata Banerjee government is strengthening the state's Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) with the posting of 45 additional officers of different ranks.
According to the sources in the state directorate, as many as eight Inspectors, 33 Sub-Inspectors, one Assistant Sub-Inspector and three Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP) are getting posted at the directorate on deputation. Earlier, there were as many as 25 officers in these ranks in the ACB.
"Now, there will be a total of 62 Inspectors, 41 Sub-Inspectors, eight Assistant Sub-Inspectors and five DSPs at the directorate," said a senior state government officer.
They are getting posted at the ACB on deputation from different districts.
This comes when the Mamata Banerjee government has ensured transparency in every aspect of her governance.
If everything goes as planned then another office of the directorate would also be opened in the city to help people get better access to lodge their complaints.
Recently, former IPS officer Rina Mitra, who was principal advisor to the Chief Minister for internal security, has been made the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of the Anti Corruption Directorate.
Mitra, who was a 1983 batch IPS officer, became the principal advisor to the Chief Minister for internal security in February 2019. She had retired as the Special Secretary (internal security) of the Government of India in 2019.
After coming to power, the Mamata Banerjee government had set up the ACB in August 2012 based on the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988. It was set up to conduct enquiry into complaints of administrative irregularities and corruption against government employees, employees of local bodies, public sector undertakings, corporations and societies those are under the administrative control of the government.
The Anti Corruption Branch, with its present headquarters at the New Secretariat Buildings and the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department as its administrative department, functions by specially declaring the branch office as a police station with jurisdiction throughout the state.