Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday announced that the state government has granted sanction for prosecution to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in four cases, enabling legal action against officials accused of corruption.
Background of the Sanctions
The previous government had blocked four CBI cases for the last four years. Under the law, the CBI or any investigating agency requires sanction from the state government to file charge sheets, initiate prosecutions, or take action against government officials accused of corruption. Adhikari stated, "The earlier chief minister, who also headed the home department, kept the sanction pending to protect corrupt officers. Today, I signed the document, as the BJP government has zero tolerance for corruption."
Details of the Cases
The sanctions involve officials from three departments: the education department in connection with the recruitment scam, the municipal affairs department in the alleged 'super recruitment' scam, and cases linked to the cooperative department that are under court-monitored investigation. Adhikari added, "We have now granted the necessary sanction to the CBI against officials linked to corruption in these departments. Copies of the approval have already been sent to the agency."
The chief minister emphasized that the government has arrived with many expectations and granted sanction against those officials who were being probed under the court's direction. "Action will be taken against officials involved in institutional corruption," he said.
Political Context
Adhikari noted that action against institutional corruption was part of the party's election manifesto. "In the coming days, people of the state will witness more such measures," he added.
Later in the day, during a meeting with departmental secretaries at Nabanna Sabhaghar, the chief minister warned the administration against corruption and urged officials to work fearlessly. He also directed secretaries to coordinate with the Centre to ensure seamless implementation of central schemes within a week.
Land Transfer to BSF
In a related development, Nandini Chakrabarti, former chief secretary and now principal coordinator of development works in the Chief Minister's Office, has been tasked with coordinating the handover of land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for border fencing and the setting up of border outposts. After the first cabinet meeting on Monday, Chief Minister Adhikari had stated that the requisite land would be handed over to the BSF within 45 days.
