Kolkata, Aug 5 (IANS) West Bengal BJP has directed members of the state Cabinet to meet legislators once every week, irrespective of party affiliation, even when the Assembly is not in session, as part of efforts to improve coordination and address local development issues more effectively.
The Chief Whip of the BJP’s legislative party in the Assembly, Amlan Bhaduri, issued the instruction for the current state ministers to meet the MLAs once a week even when the House is not in session. The instruction asked the ministers to take note of their suggestions on local area development and follow up actions.
Ministers have also been asked to inform the Chief Whip’s office of their preferred day for such interactions. A formal schedule will subsequently be announced, detailing the days on which individual ministers will meet legislators. The meetings will be held in the ministers’ designated rooms within the Assembly premises.
It remains unclear whether Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will also be part of the weekly interaction mechanism.
The move follows remarks made by the Chief Minister during the recently concluded extended Budget Session of the Assembly, when he stressed that ministers should use their Assembly offices not merely as symbolic spaces but as venues for regular engagement with legislators. He had emphasised the need for ministers to hear concerns from MLAs and act on issues affecting their constituencies.
According to Assembly sources, legislators will be required to submit their grievances, suggestions and local issues in writing to the ministers concerned. The initiative aims to ensure the quicker resolution of public grievances and improve the implementation of welfare schemes at the grassroots level.
Since assuming office in May this year, Suvendu Adhikari has repeatedly underlined the need for closer coordination between ministers and MLAs to streamline governance and service delivery. BJP legislators believe the weekly meetings will provide a dedicated platform for raising constituency-specific concerns, which is often difficult amid the busy schedule of Assembly sessions.
–IANS
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