Kolkata, February 17 The West Bengal Cabinet on Tuesday approved major changes in promotion rules across state government cadres and cleared the creation of additional posts to address long-standing stagnation and increase the number of experienced officers at senior levels, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.
Announcing the decisions after a Cabinet meeting, Banerjee said amendments have been introduced in the promotion and probation rules of the West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) cadre to streamline career progression and ensure better coordination among different state services.
Under the new system, WBCS officers will undergo a two-year probation period, followed by three years of service as Block Development Officers (BDOs), after which they will be eligible for direct promotion to the post of Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO).
"After five years of service, a WBCS officer will get the opportunity to become an SDO. We have taken this decision to increase the number of experienced officers at the higher levels and to bring parity among various state services," the chief minister said.
She said the move was taken after reviewing promotion-related records of multiple departments. According to government sources, data from as many as 46 departments were examined before arriving at the decision.
The Cabinet has approved a proposal for creation of 20 per cent additional posts in different pay levels for nine state-constituted services to ensure availability of experienced officers for higher responsibilities and to bring parity among various state-constituted services, Banerjee said.
In-principle approval has also been given for creation of additional posts in a similar manner in all other state-constituted services, she said.
The chief minister described the decision as a landmark step, stating that it was for the first time that the cadre schedule has been updated for all state-constituted services in a holistic manner to improve governance.
"Not only in WBCS, but in other state services too, 20 per cent additional posts will be created in phases. This will reduce stagnation at senior levels and maintain balance among similarly placed state-constituted services," she said.
Sources said similar measures are being considered for the police and other services as well. Officials in administrative circles expressed hope that the decision would significantly ease long-pending promotion-related issues across departments.
