WBCS officers’ body set to hold annual meet after 5 years, poll unlikely

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association is scheduled to be held on the same day at the Kolkata Town Hall. Sources, however, said, with the polls unlikely, the post holders of the association are to be selected by the top brass of the state administration.

At the last AGM of the association at Kolkata Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in 2016, Soumen Banerjee, a WBCS officer deputed at the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), was named the new general secretary of the body. However, a senior state civil service officer considered close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “This time, Soumen Banerjee might be asked to step down from the post of general secretary and another officer in the CMO might come in his place. This senior officer is also very bright and has working experience as an officer of special duty (OSD) of a senior minister as well as in the state election commission.”

As per custom, the CM is likely to address the May 17 AGM and might announce some incentives for the state civil service officers.

While the established norm has been for the election to happen once every year and the new members elected before the AGM, the practice came to a halt after 2016. Soumen Banerjee took over as the new general secretary of the organisation from Sourav Chaki in 2016, but there has been no election or AGM since.

However, with the Covid situation in the state now normal, the association decided to hold the election this month. Some existing portfolio holders in the body sat in a meeting on Tuesday and drew up the schedule for the election and the AGM.

According to sources, the CM might announce a new promotion structure for WBCS officers during her address at the AGM. An officer may now be promoted automatically to the post of junior deputy secretary eight years after joining the service and senior deputy secretary after 16 years. And, after 19 years in the service, an officer could be promoted to the post of joint secretary, subject to vacancy.

Speaking to this newspaper, a senior WBCS officer said, “We are hoping the government will reduce the time span for automatic promotions so that an officer may be promoted after 6 and 14 years in the service, instead of 8 and 16 years.”

The officer added, “The CM may also announce an increase in cadre strength and specific cadre posts as district magistrate for WBCS officers. Some WBCS officers are currently posted as DMs but the post isn’t reserved for a WBCS officer. While at least three more districts are likely to be carved out in the state, there aren’t enough IAS officers to take up key administrative posts. Since, the Centre is also not ready to address the issue of the IAS cadre strength in West Bengal, the CM may announce more posts for WBCS officers. In many states, the DM’s post is reserved for the state civil service officers. Similarly, some posts of head of the department may also be reserved for promotee WBCS
officers.”

The chief minister also may announce an increase in the number of posts of additional secretary and special secretary. There might even be an increase of 200 cadre posts.

A section of WBCS officers had demanded a separate hike in Dearness Allowance. However, the demand was rejected by the CMO.

A senior TMC leader said, “Panchayat elections will be held across the state next year. Since WBCS officers have a big role to play in panchayat elections, the chief minister wants to address many of their demands. The last AGM was also held just one-and-a-half years before the 2018 panchayat elections.”