Kolkata, Feb 19 The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her government’s decision to create additional posts in the State Constituted Services.
In a post on X, Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT Cell chief and the party’s central observer for West Bengal, alleged that the move was aimed at misleading state civil service officers.
“The recent statement made by Mamata Banerjee regarding the creation of additional posts and revision of cadre schedules for State Constituted Services must be seen for what it is: an attempt to mislead WBCS (Exe) officers,” he said.
The BJP leader added, “Presented as a ‘landmark’ reform, it is in reality a measure too little, too late.
He also targeted the state government over the alleged financial loss caused by non-payment of Dearness Allowance (DA).
“The continued failure to clear pending Dearness Allowance (DA) has caused severe financial hardship. A WBCS (Exe) officer at the entry level loses approximately Rs 2.82 lakh annually due to non-payment of appropriate DA, while an officer at the level of Special Secretary loses around Rs 8.88 lakh per year. Any claim of service betterment rings hollow so long as this fundamental injustice persists,” Malviya said.
He alleged that IAS promotions in the state face unusual delays compared with other states.
“A significant number of officers lose eligibility for IAS promotion after crossing 56 years of age. As a result, nearly half of certain batches are excluded, leading to substantial financial loss at retirement, compounded by years of unpaid DA,” he said.
“In sum, while the creation of additional posts is being portrayed as transformative, it does not address the structural, financial, and promotional inequities faced by WBCS (Exe) officers. Unless DA arrears are cleared, promotion timelines rationalised, cadre structures genuinely reformed, and safeguards ensured against arbitrary administrative actions, such measures will remain symbolic gestures rather than substantive solutions,” Malviya added.
On Wednesday, Banerjee had announced that the state Cabinet approved a proposal to create 20 per cent additional posts across different pay levels in nine State Constituted Services to ensure the availability of experienced officers for higher responsibilities and to bring parity among services.
She also said in-principle approval had been granted to extend similar measures to other State Constituted Services.
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