Kolkata: A fresh tussle is likely between the Raj Bhavan and the West Bengal government as state Governor C. V. Ananda Bose has sent back a list of prisoners who were supposed to be released on the occasion of Independence Day this year.
Sources said that the Governor’s House has sent back the list forwarded by the state government claiming that list is not cent per cent transparent. Sources added that the Governor’s House has also sought clarification on the basis on which the list has been prepared this time.
Meanwhile, state government sources said that the usual protocol was followed in selecting the names of prisoners to be released. The first recommendation comes from the state correctional services department on the basis of the conduct of the prisoners housed in different correctional homes in the state. Then there other departments namely state home affairs, law and judicial departments evaluate the list of recommendations sent by the state correctional services department.
Only after that, the final list is prepared and sent to the Governor for the clearance from his office.
“This time the same protocol was followed and the list has been returned. I do not remember such an event over the issue in the past,” said a senior official from the state correctional services department.
Already a tussle is going on between the Governors’ House and the state secretariat over the decision of the Governor to open anti-corruption cell within the Raj Bhavan premises to address the issues of corruption at the university-level education in West Bengal.
Trinamool Congress leadership had launched a scathing attack against the Governor by describing the move as an attempt to run a parallel government. Even Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had claimed that the previous Governor and the current Vice-President of the country Jagdeep Dhankhar was much better than his successor.
In such a situation, the Governor’s decision to send back the list of prisoners might open another front of tussle between the Governor’s House and the state secretariat.
–IANS