Come June, CM to hear public complaints in ‘Janatar Darbar’

Kolkata: From June 1, CM Suvendu Adhikari is likely to directly hear public grievances and ensure their immediate redressal through a "Janatar Darbar", following a model practised in several BJP-governed states such as UP, MP and Odisha.The proposed public outreach initiative, aimed at addressing grievances face to face, is expected to be held once or twice a week, with one or two senior officials present alongside the CM. Sources said it is being viewed as an attempt to bridge the gap between the administration and the public by bypassing bureaucratic and procedural hurdles.Officials said modalities for the grievance hearings are already being worked out, with multiple departments preparing logistics. The move comes even as tensions flared in the Bengal assembly on Friday, with Adhikari and leader of opposition Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay confronting each other over post-poll violence charges.The war of words began after Chattopadhyay accused the BJP-led govt of failing to curb violence despite repeated assurances. Addressing the treasury benches, he said, "You had promised ‘bhoy out, bharsha in'. But fear has only increased. Many people are still displaced. Are we hearing the footsteps of authoritarianism?"Adhikari rejected the allegations and said he had no information about any fresh cases of displacement. He urged the opposition to bring such complaints directly to the notice of the DGP, while recalling the post-poll violence of 2021."If one's name is not mentioned in the 12,500 FIRs related to the 2021 post-poll violence, the local MLA and SP will personally take them back home," the CM said. "But if their names are in those FIRs, they will be sent to jail."The CM further declared that those allegedly linked to the violence that followed the 2011 change of regime would also face legal action.In an attempt to project a reform-oriented image, Adhikari announced a series of institutional measures aimed at increasing legislative transparency and modernising House procedures."I don't want us to be held back by our past mistakes and deviations, or even certain practices in assembly. We shouldexpress our opinions while respecting the Constitution, rules of the House, and traditions of multi-party democracy," the CM said.While acknowledging the opposition's democratic right to protest, he appealed for uninterrupted functioning of the House. "Certainly, the opposition will have protests and movements, but I hope they will refrain from trying to disrupt the proceedings of the assembly or obstruct matters decided by the business advisory committee from the very first day," he added. "We do not want assembly to function while keeping the leader of opposition outside the House for 11 months. We do not want any MLA to be physically assaulted. This is not a place for violence. We want accountability and freedom of expression in language and speech. The House belongs to the opposition, while the final decision belongs to govt," the CM said and added: "Regarding participation in discussions and allocation of time... even though your numbers are much smaller, we will not move away from the existing 50-50 share," Adhikari added.Underscoring the need for structural reforms, Adhikari said, "It is extremely unfortunate that there is still no electronic voting system here. We still have to submit votes on paper. We hope to make efforts towards constructing a new assembly building in the future."