A move that was promptly rejected by the Opposition as a “fantastic attempt” to tighten her dictatorial stranglehold on administrative agencies Mamata Banerjee on Friday slashed State Ministries from existing 63 down to 52. She did so by fusing 11 departments.
Speaking to the media Finance Minister Amit Mitra said the new decision would ensure greater transparency, Centralised monitoring and control over officials. Officials also said the new step would ensure reduced expenditure and channelisation of funds for developmental works.
By the new decision departments such as Home and Hill Affairs, Youth Services and Sports etc would be mutually merged, he said, and dispensed retrenchment fears among officiating Ministers by saying that the decision would not entail any reshuffling of the Cabinet.
A number of the Ministries merged as such are currently held by the Chief Minister herself and hence they would not need removal of any Minister, sources said.
“There were 63 departments in total but now the Government has decided to merge 21 departments bringing their numbers down to 10,” Mitra said adding the decision would lead to “centralisation of work and ensure better transparency.”
Following Friday’s declarations Departments such as Home and Hill Affairs both currently held by the Chief Minister would stand merged.
Similarly department of Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation a major wing created by the left Front Government to handle the refugee crises would stand merged with the land and land Reforms which will now be rechristened as land, land Reforms and Refugee Rehabilitation department, he said. The l&lR department was already under the controlof the Chief Minister.
Accordingly Higher Education and Primary Education would be officially merged to function under single ministry now being handled by senior Trinamool leader Partho Chatterjee. After coming to power the Trinamool Government had allowed the education department to function under one Minister leading the opposition left to wonder “how much importance do they accord to the cause of education.”
By merging the two departments officially there would be no scope for creating any new Ministry of primary education.
In the same manner, Department of Youth Services and Sports have been merged to function under the Ministry of Sports and Youth Services which is currently looked after by Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikary.
The Finance Minister’s own department has now been merged with the Exercise department which will function under Finance Ministry.
Similarly Department of Sericulture will work under Department of Agriculture, Mitra said claiming “the Chief Minister has done this rationalisation of departments based on practical experience and this will ensure transparency, central control and smoother functioning.”
The Opposition left, however, called the decision an effort to “tighten the dictatorial stranglehold of the Chief Minister on administrative agencies” so that democratic functioning is replaced by dictatorship in real terms.