In a major political development in West Bengal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced that the state cabinet has approved the formation of two inquiry panels headed by former High Court judges to investigate allegations of institutional corruption and the alleged torture of women under erstwhile TMC rule.
CM Adhikari said the first panel will examine claims of financial irregularities and alleged ‘cut money’ practices in Mamata’s government. Retired Justice Biswajit Basu has been appointed to lead the committee, while senior IPS officer Jayaraman will serve as its member-secretary.
A second committee has also been formed to look into cases of atrocities against women and girl children across the state. This panel will be headed by retired judge Samapti Chatterjee. Senior IPS officer Damayanti Sen has been named the member-secretary of the committee.
According to the Chief Minister, both panels are expected to begin their work from June 1.
Religious honourarium schemes to end this month
Minister Agnimitra Paul said the schemes run under religious classification by the departments of Information and Cultural Affairs and Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education will end in West Bengal. She said these programmes will be discontinued from June onwards, adding that a separate notification will be issued to formally confirm the decision.
Notably, these schemes were part of earlier welfare measures introduced by the previous Trinamool Congress government. Around a year after coming to power, the government had announced monthly honorariums for imams, muezzins, and temple priests as part of its outreach to religious communities.
CM Adhikari's stark warning to hooligans
A day after stones were hurled at security forces during a bulldozer operation in Kolkata’s Tiljala area, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday issued a stern warning, saying strict action would be taken and that his government maintains a “zero tolerance” stance on vandalism.
Adhikari also made it clear that the government would not hesitate to act firmly against anyone found attacking police personnel or damaging public property.
“The police will now act strictly in accordance with the law; they are the law enforcement agency. Gone are the days when police personnel would get injured while the Police Minister merely sat in an air-conditioned room, watching the things unfold—forget those days now. From this point forward, hooliganism will be eradicated from Bengal. The message must reach everyone that this government is here to take action,” CM Adhikari said while talking to the media.
