Mamata’s ‘super cabinet’ — how 4 retired officers are running the state with CM’s trust

While civil service veterans say the arrangement is demoralising for serving officers & the opposition calls it politicisation of governance, TMC govt insists it is doing nothing wrong.

(From left) Surajit Kar Purakayastha, Rajiva Sinha, Gautam Sanyal and Rina Mitra | By special arrangement

Kolkata: When former West Bengal chief secretary Rajiva Sinha was appointed the chairman of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), at the end of September, he joined a select,powerful club — that of retired officers running the state. 

Sinha, who had then just retired from the IAS, was given a three-year term. His role is pivotal for the state’s economy as WBIDC is the government’s nodal agency for industry and Sinha’s predecessor was the state’s Finance, Industry and Commerce Minister Amit Mitra.     

Sinha is among the four retired civil servants whom Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee trusts — the other three being the 70-year-old former CSS (central secretariat service) officer Gautam Sanyal,  IPS officers Surajit Kar Purakayastha (63) and Rina Mitra (61).  

Of the four, Sanyal is the chief minister’s closest aide. The 70-year-old had retired from the CSS in 2011 but at the time was serving as the secretary to the chief minister who had just taken over in the state. 

In June 2015, Mamata re-designated Sanyal as the principal secretary to the CM, the senior-most position in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). The position, which he has been holding for the past five years, is essentially a cadre post and reserved for IAS officers. Sanyal is the only officer in the country who holds the post despite not being an IAS officer. 

For former DGP Purakayastha, who retired in 2018, the CM carved out a new post, the State Security Advisor (SSA), in May that year. Designed along the lines of the national security adviser (NSA), the SSA has been equipped with sweeping powers over security and law-enforcement agencies. Purakayastha is the only SSA in the country and he directly reports to the chief minister.

Banerjee made another exception for former IPS officer Rina Mitra who retired as the special secretary (internal security), Government of India, in 2019. In February 2019, Mitra was appointed as the principal advisor to the chief minister for internal security. 

While her role was not defined in the order that was issued last year, sources in the government say Mitra supervises several security agencies in the state.

Senior civil servants who worked with the chief minister say this arrangement is “demoralising” for serving officers but her cabinet colleagues claim Mamata relies on officers with “expertise” and retains them. 

These are all ‘exclusive posts’ created for ‘expert officers’, said a top IAS officer while explaining such appointments. “It is a government’s discretion over what posts it wants to create,” he added. “But these are unprecedented instances that happened only in Bengal. But under Mamata Banerjee, experts do not retire.” 

Subrata Mukherjee, one of Mamata’s oldest cabinet colleagues and the state’s Panchayat and rural development minister, insists that the government has done nothing wrong.  

“Creation of posts depend on the government. It is not defined in law and not barred by the rulebook,” he said. “There are some efficient bureaucrats, who may have retired, but their faculties are strong. They are physically fit. Mamata Banerjee relies on their expertise. It is her decision whom she wants to retain. She decides on the assignment for the particular officer. It is the chief minister’s call.” 

Demoralising for serving officers

A retired civil servant, who has worked with the chief minister, says this arrangement  is “demoralising” for serving officers. “This government has totally demolished institutions, which has led to a huge demoralisation of bureaucracy,” the officer said. “Some pet officers have been given key positions in violation of standard norms, practices and rules. Merit has no criterion and those who toed the line have been given key assignments.” 

“This has not only demoralised the honest and sincere officers but is also impacting the performance of the government big time as the officials down the line are not accepting this arbitrary and ad hoc manner in which some pet officers are being rewarded bypassing the honest and sincere officers,” he added. 

A senior government official pointed out that these officers are appointed by the government with a fixed salary, bungalow and office in addition to their post retirement benefits and pensions. 

Their role has also been questioned by West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who after meeting Home Minister Amit Shah on 29 October, said Bengal was being run by “super-bosses”. 

“What are the SSA and internal security advisors doing when illegal bomb making factories are flourishing in Bengal?” he asked at a press conference in Kolkata. “How do they play the role of super-bosses to the director general of police (DGP) and the statutorily structured police apparatus? How did Al-Qaeda members run their module in Bengal if we have an SSA and internal security experts? It is nothing but blatant politicisation of police administration.” 

BJP’s national general secretary Kailash Vijaywargiya calls the four officers “puppets of Banerjee”. “These officers are devoid of rules and regulations. They do what their political bosses want them to do. Nabanna has become an old-age home,” he alleged.

Senior CPM leader Sujan Chakraborti echoed his views.  

“Bengal’s law and order system has collapsed in the past few years. It is not rocket science,” he said. “It happens when the entire government machinery turns truly political in every sense of it. It is clear abuse of power. It is unethical and untenable.”