First at Writers’,expensive puja gifts to select babus from CM Mamata Banerjee

Its usual for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to frequently talk about the staggering loan of Rs 2 lakh crore on the state exchequer,which she blames on the previous Left Front government.

Its usual for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to frequently talk about the staggering loan of Rs 2 lakh crore on the state exchequer,which she blames on the previous Left Front government. Its also very common to hear the growing clamour of state government employees seeking instalments of dearness allowance that are long overdue. But what is not common is that despite this bleak economic condition,this Durga Puja Mamata Banerjee is showering gifts on state government employees. Not all but only a section of them from specific IAS officers to selected Group D employees. Even journalists covering Writers Buildings have not been left out from the list of recipients of the Chief Ministers largesse.

At least five senior IAS officers,one a woman,have confirmed receiving a precious gift from the Chief Minister. While the men have received branded cotton kurta and pyjamas,the woman officer have been given expensive sarees. At Writers Buildings,never before have IAS officers received puja gifts from the state government,let alone the Chief Minister. According to sources,so far 15 IAS officers have received gifts from the Chief Minister,who is known for her austere lifestyle.

The distribution of gifts is being overseen by Gautam Sanyal,secretary to the Chief Minister who calls the secretaries of different departments and requests them to send one of their staff members to his office to collect the gifts. One of the recipient officers,A B Chakrabarty,additional chief secretary in charge of Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs,was overwhelmed by the CMs gesture. I am on the verge of retirement and have never seen any CM presenting gifts to officers. I am really grateful to her, Chakrabarty said.

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But the distribution of gifts among IAS officers seems to be confined to those who have become close to the Chief Minister in the recent days. Thus,Nihar Ranjan Banerjee another additional chief secretary who was shifted to State Valuation Board from Fire and Emergency Services Department following a tiff with his minister Javed Khan had received no gifts from the CM. I have received no gifts from the state government. And I raise a very humble question. Where is the money coming from? Banerjee told The Indian Express.

Mamata has not left out the Group D employees. A section of Group D staff – the lowest category of state government employees has also received the gifts. They have been given trousers and shirt lengths. And a section of journalists covering the Writers have also been gifted kurta-pyajamas or salwar suit pieces.

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First at Writers’,expensive puja gifts to select babus from CM Mamata Banerjee

Its usual for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to frequently talk about the staggering loan of Rs 2 lakh crore on the state exchequer,which she blames on the previous Left Front government.

Its usual for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to frequently talk about the staggering loan of Rs 2 lakh crore on the state exchequer,which she blames on the previous Left Front government.