Kolkata, Oct 12: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday handed over appointment letters to 11,000 aspirants in the first major police recruitment drive under the BJP government and announced more jobs in the police force in the next few months.
Claiming that the change of guard in the state had made the recruitments possible, Adhikari said that 4,000 personnel would be recruited into the Kolkata Police by December, while the state Police Recruitment Board would issue a notification in November for 9,000 new posts in the force.
He said that West Bengal would surpass Uttar Pradesh in the number of police personnel within the next two years.
Addressing a programme at Netaji Indoor Stadium after handing over the appointment letters, Adhikari also announced that 650 police clerks would be recruited through the Public Service Commission.
“I do not want applause, nor do I want credit. I only want to say that this recruitment would not have happened if the government had not changed. The previous government had kept recruitment stalled over the OBC issue,” he said.
“The tussle between the court and the government had held up the process. We convened a session of the Assembly and resolved the OBC deadlock,” Adhikari said.
He said that his government also had sorted out the case the previous administration had filed in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court division bench.
“If the government had not acted so swiftly, we would not have witnessed this moment of joy today,” the CM added.
Addressing the event, he urged the newly appointed police personnel to remain free of corruption and uphold integrity in the discharge of their duties.
Adhikari assured aspirants that future recruitment would be conducted transparently and strictly in accordance with the rules.
“Whether it is the oral examination or the physical test, there will not be the slightest irregularity. Recruitment will take place according to the rules… Have faith (in the state government),” he said.
Adhikari also criticised the previous Trinamool Congress government for allegedly relying on civic volunteers to run police stations, while clarifying that his government had no hostility towards them.
“I am not blaming the civic volunteers. We increased their remuneration by Rs 2,000 before Durga Puja. Training is necessary to maintain discipline. Civic volunteers were not subjected to even the minimum examination,” he said.
The chief minister said that properly trained constables were necessary for police work and asserted that merit would be the sole criterion for government recruitment.
He also promised that recruitment would be conducted every year in accordance with established rules.
Adhikari said the government would announce the results for 4,000 Kolkata Police vacancies by December.
He added that 300 sub-inspectors had been selected for the Kolkata Police and that a fresh recruitment drive for the state police would begin in January.
Reiterating his confidence in the expansion of the state police force, the chief minister said, “Within two years, West Bengal will surpass Uttar Pradesh in the number of police personnel.”
Adhikari also addressed the issues of dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees and the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission.
“A 20 per cent DA hike has been announced. The difference between the DA paid by the Centre and the state was substantial. We are trying to bridge that gap. The earlier 18 per cent and the latest 20 per cent together mean that everyone will receive DA at the rate of 38 per cent in October,” he said.
The chief minister said that the October salary advance and DA at the rate of 38 per cent would be credited to everyone’s bank account by October 15, a day before the Durga Puja rituals begin.
Stressing the state’s increase in the ration allowance for police personnel from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000, Adhikari assured them that it would be enhanced further in the next state budget.
