DARJEELING: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday claimed that a "blue-eyed class of political police and administration and favourites in trade and business" has emerged in the state in the last few years.
Degradation can be seen in almost every sector in the state which is going through the worst possible phase, Dhankhar claimed while addressing a press conference at the Raj Bhavan in Darjeeling, "In the last few years, there is emergence of blue- eyed class of political police and administration and favourites in trade and business.
They are the beneficiaries of state largesse and corruption that is flourishing as an industry in a structured way," the governor said.
Claiming that ground level rural politicians are so corrupt that it is very difficult for anyone to start an industry in West Bengal, he said that one cannot get any work done without giving kickbacks.
"Be it law and order, education, health, economy, or industry the slide is evident everywhere," said the governor who is now on a tour of Darjeeling.
Dhankhar contended that democratic values and human rights are major casualties at the hands of the police and administration in the state where "political violence, vendetta and victimisation" are on the rise.
The governor said, "If you don't toe the ruling party lines, you are bound to suffer."
It is also a cause of concern that poor people in rural areas need to pay cut money to get the benefits of government welfare schemes, said Dhankhar who has been at loggerheads with the Trinamool Congress regime ever since he took over as the governor of West Bengal in July, 2019.
He held that educated youths and labourers are a frustrated lot in West Bengal because of lack of good employment opportunities both in the government and private sectors.
Reiterating his appeal to public servants to follow the rule book and to go by the Constitution, the governor claimed that an "emergency-like situation" is prevailing in the state where "opposition political activity is policed and denied.
" Regarding the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, the governor said that serious issues of corruption in the autonomous council in Darjeeling hills have been flagged to him.
He said that a comprehensive plan for the development of the Darjeeling hills and its swift execution are needed so that there is qualitative growth in tea, tourism, education and sports sectors.
The situation in Darjeeling hills, which had faced violent agitations and prolonged bandhs over the demand for separate Gorkhand state in 2017, is peaceful at present, he said.