The West Bengal government has issued an order to end the tenures of nominated directors, members, and chairpersons of various boards, organizations, and public sector undertakings under state government departments. The order also includes the termination of former state government officers who were granted re-employment or service extensions post-superannuation during the previous Mamata Banerjee-led government. This decision, approved by the competent authority, aims to terminate the services of officers beyond the normal retirement age of 60.
The trend of nominating individuals, including intellectuals, celebrities, and media persons, to such bodies was prevalent during the tenure of the previous government. Additionally, retired bureaucrats and police officers were either re-employed or retained post-superannuation, receiving their last-drawn salaries and associated benefits. Criticism from opposition parties and economic advisors highlighted the unnecessary expenditure incurred through these appointments, especially when fresh recruitment for permanent government positions had ceased.
Following the recent West Bengal Assembly election results, which saw the defeat of the Trinamool Congress, a wave of resignations from advisory roles in the previous government has commenced. Notable figures like economist Abhirup Sarkar and former Chief Secretaries Alapan Bandyopadhyay, H.K. Dwivedi, and Manoj Pant have already resigned from their positions. The move to terminate these tenures and encourage resignations is seen as a response to the criticism surrounding such appointments and expenditures.
