West Bengal to seek more IAS, IPS officers as number of districts will rise

The state Cabinet okayed a proposal to constitute a panel of officials to recruit more West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) and Police Service (WBPS) officers to run the administration more efficiently, State Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee was quoted as saying by PTI.

Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Monday (April 18, 2022) decided to write to the Centre urging it to increase the allotment of IAS and IPS officers as the state administration is planning to raise the number of districts and that will require more such officials.

State Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee claimed that some neighbouring states that are smaller than West Bengal have more IAS and IPS officers compared to what this state has.

The state Cabinet on Monday okayed a proposal to constitute a panel of officials to recruit more West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) and Police Service (WBPS) officers to run the administration more efficiently, Chatterjee said.

"We have 23 districts and restructuring of the districts is being done. Some neighbouring smaller states with 20-22 districts have more IAS and IPS officers compared to what our state has.

"The CM has asked the chief secretary to write a letter to the USPC to increase the allotment of fresh IAS and IPS cadres for West Bengal because we will be having more districts," he said.

The Cabinet also decided to fill up a total of 11,551 vacancies in the health department with contractual temporary workers primarily for the infrastructure development in urban and rural areas, Chatterjee said.

There will also be recruitment for 342 vacancies for data entry operators in the food and supplies departments, he added.

The industry minister said that a decision was also taken to allot land to chip and semiconductor manufacturers at the state's Silicon Valley Hub in the city.

Chatterjee said the state Cabinet also decided to provide government jobs to the family members of 26 people who were killed in lightning strikes in Hooghly and Murshidabad districts last year.

Transport Minister Firhad Hakim said that the Cabinet decided to streamline the fee structure of the trucks used for exports.

"We have noticed that the fee structure for trucks taking goods across the border is abnormal. We have decided to streamline this," he said.

Hakim also said that it was also decided to allow the movement of vehicles carrying perishable goods on a priority basis so that exporters can avoid loss.

He said that the department will soon be issuing a notification in this regard.

The state Cabinet also okayed the recruitment of staff on a contractual basis for parking lots inland ports, Hakim said.

The state government has taken direct control of the parking lots that were under the respective local bodies.

The transport department will pay the salary of the staff, he said.