Kolkata, 22 July (H.S.): The West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Wednesday held a detailed discussion on the Budget of the Home and Hill Affairs Department for the first time in 14 years. Replying to the debate for nearly an hour, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a series of measures to strengthen law and order, including the recruitment of 26,000 police personnel and a crackdown on corruption within the police force.

The Chief Minister alleged that during the previous government's tenure, the Home Department's Budget was, in most years, passed without any discussion in the Assembly. He said the present government was committed to ensuring greater transparency and accountability in matters relating to the department.

Adhikari announced that 26,000 new constables would be recruited to fill vacancies in the state police force, with 16,000 of them expected to be appointed before the Durga Puja festival. He said the sanctioned strength of the West Bengal Police stands at 121,344 personnel, while 43,073 posts are currently vacant. The government, he added, aims to fill all vacancies in a phased manner to make the police force more efficient and better equipped.

Questioning the Civic Volunteer system, the Chief Minister alleged that a large number of volunteers had been recruited by the previous government without adequate qualifications or training. He claimed that the system had been misused for political purposes and illegal extortion. He also said many police stations across the state lack basic infrastructure and announced plans to improve police barracks, kitchens, pay and allowances, transfer policies and other administrative facilities to provide a better working environment for police personnel.

Reiterating the government's zero tolerance policy against corruption, Adhikari said strict action would be taken against police personnel found accepting bribes. He announced that a dedicated control room and helpline would be launched to enable citizens to report complaints. According to the Chief Minister, any complaint received through the helpline would be acted upon promptly.

He said the government's objective was not only to strengthen law and order but also to build a more transparent, accountable and citizen-friendly policing system in West Bengal.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh