Kolkata, Saying that he was in “pain and concern”, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday urged academicians, politicians and activists to “reflect on worrisome governance issues” he noticed during his visit to North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts a day back.
The Governor’s comments came in the form of a series of tweets in which he tagged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a day after his proposed meetings with administrative and police officials and public representatives failed to take off with the district administrations refusing to send the invites and informing him instead that permission of the state government was required for such “action”.
As earlier announced by the Raj Bhavan, Dhankhar first went to North 24 Parganas District’s Dhamakhali, about 75 km from Kolkata, and then proceeded to South 24 Parganas district’s Sajnekhali, but found the District Magistrates and senior police officers not present. Public representatives belonging to the ruling Trinamool Congress were also absent.
“As West Bengal governor in pain and concern I beseech the enlightened academicians, politicians, activists to reflect on worrisome governance issues that I noticed on my visit to North and South 24 Parganas and amplified by District Magistrate on 21/10,” he said in a tweet.
Accompanying the tweet, were images of the letters sent to the Raj Bhavan by the two District Magistrates expressing their inability to send the invites saying “permission of the West Bengal government is required” for the purpose and that “all necessary action will be taken as desired from this end after the receipt of the said permission from the state”.
The DMs also contended that “all senior government functionaries were in north Bengal for an administrative review meeting of the Chief Minister.”
In another tweet, Dhankhar said during his visit he met “brilliant young officials” but regretted they were “handicapped” and called for securing an environment to use their talent.
“During my visits to North and South 24 Parganas I had the occasion to meet brilliant young officials with potential to shape future and wished them well. However they were handicapped in imparting inputs. Let’s secure an environment so that all their talent may be exploited,” the tweet read.
The Governor claimed that he had also seen the “love and affection of the people all through” during his visit, saying they “came in numbers and profusely greeted us while going and coming throughout the route, including from house tops”. The children’s response would be “ever memorable”, he added.
