Kolkata, May 24: Monday blues. The reasons: System and office in a sorry state. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appeared livid after coming out of her office on Monday noon. “How on earth do I function? I have just two chairs and a table – that is all. There is no telephone even, and nothing seems to work here. There is no system at the Writers’ Building. It amazes me; I do not know how people have worked in this kind of an atmosphere for the last 35 years!”
She scoffed at the previous government, “It seems they have polished off everything. As far as I know Governments and Ministries change but at least the basic infrastructures for the offices remain, here there is nothing at all!”
The Chief Minister compared the ‘system’ at the Secretariat building, West Bengal with the work environment that exists in the Union Government. She said things were far more systematic in Delhi, “I have worked there as Minister of Coal and Mines, Sports and Railways, and the working environment was really good.”
Since the Chief Minister’s outburst, the State Public Works Department (PWD) has been in a tizzy. Earlier, ever since the Trinamool Congress came into power the PWD took upon itself to give a facelift to the Secretariat. The Irrigation Minister’s room on the second floor was converted into MLAs’ waiting room. A false ceiling and wood paneling were the new additions. The corridors of the building were painted and old-broken furniture removed and the three staircases were re-done with proper aluminum edging.
Secretary PW and PW (Roads) Department, Government of West Bengal, AR Bardhan, told The Pioneer, “Most of the furniture here was lying unattended and broken for around 20 years.” He also added that the wash-room in the Chief Minister’s room has been done up especially to cater to a lady occupant. The furniture in there has been polished and the walls painted. The room opposite to the CM’s office has also been given a face-lift with fresh wall-paint, few sofas and coffee tables. This room will be exclusively for the CM’s visiting guests. For this initial work, around `6 lakh has been spent. Plans to upgrade wash-rooms with electronic taps, hand dryers and modern hygienic gadgets are in the pipeline.
On Sunday, the PWD employees worked overtime to do up Mamata’s room according to her taste. All heavy upholstery, thick cushioned ornate chairs, wall to wall carpet, and a fancy door were removed from the CM’s office. As Mamata Banerjee wanted a lot of light, the colour scheme of her office is off white-ceilings, wall panels and wooden floor all of the same shade. The chairs are now straight back and wooden. The CM also has shown interest in a few potted plants and creepers. Mamata also wants a few classy pictures of Poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore, poet Nazrul Islam and other great people’s pictures, to be hung in her room.
The photo gallery outside her room has around 44 pictures of all her Ministers taking oath, including hers. Interestingly, there is a picture of Mamata Banerjee meeting with ex-CM, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and senior CPI (M) leader, Biman Basu on that day. These pictures in the gallery have been put up according to the Chief Minister’s wish.
Meanwhile, on Monday afternoon the PWD officials were on the run setting things right in the Chief Minister’s room. Confessed a senior official, “There was surely some problem in the telephone connection, the buzzer was not working after the changes made in the room. We contacted BSNL and things have been set right. By this weekend the room will be beautified too as per the wishes of the CM.”
However, the official remained clueless about the furniture as they thought everything had been set right.
The Chief Minister held several meetings besides attending the oath-taking function of her Ministers on Monday. Addressing the media, Mamata Banerjee commented on the huge confiscation of weapons in the last few days; “Please do not politicise the issue. I have always said that law order and peace is one of the top priorities in my Government.” She reiterated that she wanted the police to work impartially.
——–Agencies