Bengal guv terms state bureaucrats as 'political servants'

Kolkata, Oct 12 (IANS) Strongly criticising the role of bureaucracy in the state, West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the members of IAS and IPS are no more public servants in the state, rather they have reduced themselves to 'political servants'.

Dhankhar who is in North Bengal for two weeks told the media, "I am disturbed by the dilution of democratic norms and values. I painfully indicate to the media that the state in which we are in is very severe and painful, known to other parts of the country. I am surprised how members of IAS and IPS including the chief secretary can be so unmindful of the constitution and the rule of law and their obligations to the governor".

"How ironic it is that the document which should be available to all the citizens under the right to information is not made available to the head of the state. I questioned the chief secretary and the principal secretary, finance. On 7th June they came to see me ideally without any paper, without any preparation, without any document. How can they be so casual? How can they deal with the matter in this way with the constitutional head?" Dhankhar said.

The governor was referring to the documents related to Andal airport and the alleged financial favours in 'Pandemic patronage scam'. "I wrote to him on 7th June to respond within seven days. He is not worried. I called them again on October 1. They came without any documents. Then I had to put them on a tight schedule. They are on a complete disobedience mode. By concealing those documents from the governor, by not putting them on public domain they are shielding the criminals," Dhankhar added.

"I have sent another strong note to the chief secretary today. The complicity of the administration in such criminal acts must end. It is their duty to ensure that criminals are brought to book. The criminals must face the wrath of law. No one can be above law," he added.

Alleging that every citizen in the state is stressed, the governor said, "They have already reduced to a state to a police state where every citizen is stressed. They are in fear. Democracy is in peril, so disturbed, human rights are in danger. Everyone is in fear".

"It is a very sorry state of affairs to find that the bureaucrats are no more public servants but they have reduced themselves to the level of political servants. This is an open secret and everyone knows it," he concluded.