‘Won’t set up detention camps, don’t give forceful instructions to our officers like British’: Mamata to Centre
At the launch of Unnayoner Panchali, a 15-year governance “report card” presented through traditional lyrical storytelling, ahead of the 2026 Bengal Assembly elections, Banerjee said that ‘district administrations that complete (developmental) work early will be rewarded’
Mamata announced that the state government will provide Rs 2 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives or died by alleged suicide allegedly due to SIR-related stress. (File Photo)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said her government would not set up any “detention camp” in the state. “I obey the Constitution. I do secular politics. I will not make any detention camp here. I don’t want to put people in trouble,” she said.
Without naming the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), she urged the Central government: “Don’t give forceful instructions to our officers like the British. If you want to give instructions, send them to the state government. Otherwise, we have to save our officers.”
On Tuesday, the West Bengal government launched Unnayoner Panchali, a 15-year “report card” presented through traditional lyrical storytelling, documenting Mamata Banerjee’s governance journey. The campaign transforms policy achievements into a Panchali, Bengal’s centuries-old oral verse tradition.
CM Banerjee said, “Earlier our mothers and grandmothers used to sing Panchali in the evenings, and the language of our home and soil used to be transferred orally. People enjoyed it a lot and it was compulsory. This has become extinct now — it still happens in villages where people light diyas under tulsi plants.”
During the announcement of the Trinamool Congress government’s work over the last fifteen years, Banerjee told the Centre, “You may torture us, deprive us, we will still talk about cooperation. We want your cooperation, we want cooperative federalism.”
She announced that the state government will provide Rs 2 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives or died by alleged suicide allegedly due to SIR-related stress. Families of those injured or hospitalised will be given Rs 1 lakh. The Chief Minister said, “As far as I know, till date, 39 persons have died because of SIR, including BLOs. Thirteen persons are hospitalised and three persons tried to commit suicide and are now undergoing treatment. All those families will get compensation.”
She instructed all District Magistrates, “I know you are busy with election duty, but don’t ignore developmental work. What we committed to people, we have to deliver. Those district administrations that complete their work early will be rewarded.”
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She also addressed Chief Secretary Manoj Pant: “We already have an observer team overseeing project development. You make a monitoring team with ten officers who will monitor the project works.”
Banerjee went on to inform that before the 2026 Assembly elections, the state government would not organise the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS). Instead, a business conclave will be held on December 18. “We will organise BGBS next year after the election and after forming the government,” she said.
Banerjee said, “Our government has pulled up one crore and 72 lakh families from the poverty level during these fourteen years. We generated more than two crore employment opportunities and decreased unemployment by 40 per cent.” She added, “We generated more than one crore jobs in the MSME sector and developed 12 lakh new self-help groups.”
“What we promised, we did. We are not like the BJP who show off before elections — they promised to give ten thousand in Bihar and gave bulldozers after winning the election,” she said.
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Singer Iman Chakraborty performed the Panchali along with her team during the launch. The initiative marks a departure from conventional political communication.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
