Kolkata, 18 May (H.S.) : West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday held his first “Janata Darbar” after assuming office, directly interacting with people and listening to their grievances at the Bharatiya Janata Party office in Salt Lake ahead of the state cabinet’s second meeting.

The Chief Minister arrived at the party office around 9:30 a.m., where he was welcomed by party workers and supporters. BJP MP Locket Chatterjee was also present during the public interaction programme.

According to sources, a large number of job aspirants turned up on the very first day of the “Janata Darbar” to submit their complaints and demands. Suvendu Adhikari personally listened to the grievances and instructed officials to note them down. After the programme, the Chief Minister was scheduled to head directly to Nabanna for a series of important administrative meetings.

Sources in the state administration said the cabinet meeting later in the day is likely to deliberate on several key issues, including the RG Kar case, crimes against women, institutional corruption, implementation of a new pay commission and pending dearness allowance dues of government employees. Discussions regarding land transfer to the Border Security Force and other administrative matters are also expected.

Notably, during the first cabinet meeting held last week, the newly formed BJP government had taken several major decisions. These included joining central schemes such as Ayushman Bharat, extending the upper age limit for government job applications by five years and launching the “Annapurna Bhandar” scheme.

The Chief Minister has repeatedly stated that his government would prioritize good governance and security while ensuring that people benefit from various “double-engine government” initiatives.

Meanwhile, state government employees are closely watching the outcome of Monday’s cabinet meeting, particularly over the issue of pending dearness allowance arrears. The Supreme Court had earlier directed the previous state government to clear the dues of employees. Although a portion of the arrears from 2016 to 2019 was reportedly paid, dues from 2008 to 2016 are still pending.

Following the change in government, employees are hopeful that the new administration may take steps toward clearing the remaining dues. Sources in the Finance Department indicated that the government is also considering aligning the state’s salary structure and dearness allowance with central government rates.

The Bharatiya Janata Party had promised implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission in its election manifesto. Government employees believe that implementation of the commission would significantly increase salaries. As a result, both employees and the general public are keenly awaiting the decisions of the second cabinet meeting.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh