The West Bengal government has established a judicial commission to examine instances of institutional corruption that occurred during the previous Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee from 2011 to 2026. Headed by retired Justice Biswajit Basu from the Calcutta High Court, the commission will scrutinize allegations of corruption across various state government departments, including education, food and supply, relief and disaster management, municipal and panchayat-controlled areas, housing, and fisheries during the specified period.
The commission, as per the State Secretariat of Nabanna, will also look into cases of police misconduct such as wrongful detentions and false charges against innocent individuals. Justice Basu will lead the commission, with oversight from a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. Administrative responsibilities will be managed by an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or a senior West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) officer, while technical aspects will be handled by a West Bengal Revenue Service (WBRS) officer. Additional members may be included if required.
Furthermore, the commission will make recommendations on recovering embezzled funds from those involved in corrupt practices. It will possess the authority to summon individuals for questioning and, if corruption is found, can suggest filing FIRs by the police. Progress reports will be periodically submitted to the state government, as stated by a State Secretariat source.
West Bengal’s Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta recently announced the upcoming release of white papers detailing financial irregularities across different departments during the Trinamool Congress regime. These reports will address the state’s mounting debt during the 15-year tenure and delays in crucial development projects. Additionally, Dasgupta highlighted the government’s commitment to presenting the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India’s reports in the West Bengal Assembly, a practice neglected in the previous administration.
