Officials skip meet again, Governor asks if there is ‘censorship’ in Bengal
Dhankar, who was visiting Dhamakhali in Basirhat, had called a meeting of senior administrative officials of the two districts on Tuesday as part of his visit.
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at Dhamakhali on Tuesday. (Express photo by Partha Paul)
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After finding senior administrative officials of North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas missing at a meeting called by him, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday accused the Trinamool Congress government of “unconstitutional behaviour” with him and wondered whether some “sort of censorship” was in place.
Dhankar, who was visiting Dhamakhali in Basirhat, had called a meeting of senior administrative officials of the two districts on Tuesday as part of his visit. The officials, the Governor said, had told him that permission to attend the meeting with him is not available as all senior government officials are presently in north Bengal, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is on an administrative tour.
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As senior officials and locals MPs and MLAs did not turn up at the meeting, an upset Governor hit out the state government. “I am not the subordinate. Then, why necessary permission (by the officers) would be needed? This is unconstitutional. They are saying senior officers are busy with the Chief Minister’s meeting in north Bengal. If Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) is in a meeting, will the whole government be on a holiday? This is very unfortunate. There should be a free flow of information,” Dhankar told mediapersons here.
“I don’t think this scenario will continue. All the stakeholders will assess them and will change their mindset,” the Governor added.
Although a guard of honour was accorded to him at Dhamakhali in North 24 Parganas, none of the senior government officials of the district attended his meeting. Basirhat Sub-Divisional Officer Vivek Vasmi, Additional District Magistrate (General) North 24 Parganas Sudhir Kuntham and Additional SP Chandan Ghosh were the only senior officers present at the venue. While Opposition MLAs had come to attend the meeting, none of the ruling legislators came. Later, an angry Governor cancelled the meeting.
At Sajnekhali in South 24 Parganas, too, none of the senior government officials or public representatives came for the meeting.
“I am astonished to receive the letters from the district officials in which they have expressed their inability to attend the meetings, that too four days after my intimation. I do not know whether some sort of censorship is in place in West Bengal… Despite this, I will continue my tour of the districts,” PTI quoted Governor as saying.
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He also mentioned that the District Magistrate had sent a letter stating that “state government’s’’ permission was necessary to call the participants of the meeting.
On the heels of Dhankhar’s remark, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijaywargia said that the way the Governor was being “insulted” by the state government. “There are some constitutional norms, which every state government has to follow. But from the behaviour that Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar faced, it seems the Mamata Banerjee’s government has created a new set of rules and does not abide by the country’s Constitution…” Vijaywargiya said.
But the Trinamool Congress leadership hit back. Senior Trinamool leader and state minister Rabindra Nath Ghosh said, “We have never seen this kind of administrative meetings. Here, such meetings are chaired by CM Mamata Banerjee. I think the Governor has no idea how many administrative meetings our chief minister has held over the last few years. The Governor should remain within his constitutional limits…” said Ghosh.
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
