Bengal Civic Volunteer Issue: Governor Seeks CM’s Input on 12 Points
West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose has requested Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to provide her opinion on the Supreme Court’s critical observations regarding the hiring of civic volunteers in the state police.
In a statement posted on the official X account of the ‘Raj Bhavan Media Cell,’ the Governor outlined 12 specific points for the Chief Minister’s input. These include:
- The total number of civic volunteers engaged since 2021.
- The total payments made to them.
- The legal basis for their recruitment.
- The government orders under which the recruitment occurred.
- The rules governing their recruitment.
- The training system for civic volunteers before deployment.
- The departments where they are assigned.
- The duration of their employment.
- The total number of sanctioned posts in state government departments and current vacancies.
- The number of government employees hired through an open recruitment system.
- The reasons for not filling permanent positions.
The issue gained further attention following the identification of civic volunteer Sanjay Roy as the “sole prime accused” in the rape and murder of a junior doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The Governor’s statement highlighted several deficiencies in the recruitment system for civic volunteers, including a lack of legal authority, unverified hiring processes, political influence, insufficient training, limited accountability, potential for abuse, concerns about qualifications, and a lack of transparency.
Opposition parties in West Bengal have long criticized the perceived political control over civic volunteers, which they argue undermines their impartiality.
Governor Bose has previously expressed concerns regarding the handling of the R.G. Kar case, questioning the initial investigation by Kolkata Police before it was handed over to the CBI, particularly noting the “hurried disposal of the body” despite the parents’ wishes to retain it for that day.
