Kolkata, Feb 19 (NationPress) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expressed disapproval on Thursday towards Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent decision to establish new roles within the State Constituted Services.

In a message on X, Amit Malviya, the BJP’s IT Cell chief and central observer for West Bengal, claimed that this action was intended to mislead officers of the state civil service.

“Mamata Banerjee’s recent announcement about creating extra posts and revising cadre schedules for State Constituted Services is merely an attempt to mislead WBCS (Exe) officers,” he asserted.

According to the BJP leader, “Although presented as a ‘landmark’ reform, it is actually a measure that is too little, too late. By focusing on incremental structural changes while neglecting long-standing core issues of the service, the government aims to create a façade of reform without achieving real justice. Such declarations, if they do not tackle financial hardships, prolonged stagnation, and administrative insecurity, are merely optics rather than genuine governance.”

He further criticized the state government for the alleged financial burden resulting from unpaid Dearness Allowance (DA).

“The ongoing inability to settle outstanding DA has led to significant financial strain. An entry-level WBCS (Exe) officer misses out on approximately Rs 2.82 lakh annually due to the lack of appropriate DA, while a Special Secretary-level officer loses around Rs 8.88 lakh per year. Any claims of service improvement are hollow as long as this fundamental injustice continues,” Malviya stated.

He also highlighted delays in IAS promotions within the state compared to others.

“A considerable number of officers become ineligible for IAS promotions after reaching 56 years of age. Consequently, nearly half of certain cohorts are excluded, resulting in substantial financial losses upon retirement, exacerbated by years of unpaid DA,” he explained.

“In conclusion, while the announcement of additional posts is being marketed as transformative, it fails to address the structural, financial, and promotional disparities faced by WBCS (Exe) officers. Unless DA arrears are cleared, promotion timelines are rationalized, cadre structures are genuinely reformed, and protections against arbitrary administrative actions are established, these measures will remain mere symbolic gestures rather than real solutions,” Malviya added.

On Wednesday, Banerjee unveiled that the state Cabinet had sanctioned a proposal to create a 20 percent increase in positions across various pay scales within nine State Constituted Services to ensure a supply of experienced officers for elevated roles and to foster parity among services.

She also mentioned that tentative approval had been granted to extend similar initiatives to other State Constituted Services.