KOLKATA: Mamata Banerjee’s government has initiated a unique proposal to recruit special secretaries from the private sector to enhance the functioning of the state government’s ongoing beneficiary schemes for common people. Some of the schemes are believed to have paid electoral dividend to the ruling Trinamool Congress in the recent Assembly elections.
Thirty special secretaries from the private sector with extraordinary talent will be picked up. The proposal is being prepared for tabling in the next cabinet meeting to get the chief minister’s nod. The finance department has been asked to give its approval to decide the pay structure of the special secretaries, who will work under secretaries of different departments.
A number of schemes offering doles and other benefits played a major role in bringing the Trinamool back to the power for third straight term in Bengal. The schemes include bicycle for school students, shoes and school bags for primary section students, financial assistance for women pursing higher education, monthly doles for homemakers and a one-time financial help for women’s marriage.
“Recruiting experts from the private sector in higher posts in the railways and nationalised banks is not unique. But in Bengal, we never hired talent from outside. Presently, we have more than two dozen schemes in place. We need professionals to oversee their operation and implementation. The new initiative will definitely improve the quality of service,” said an official.
Sources in the finance department suggested Rs 2 lakh monthly salary for the recruits. “We will soon discuss the expenditure the government will have to incur because of the initiative,” an official said.