In relation to an alleged recruitment scam in civic organizations, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) started raiding the homes of West Bengal minister Sujit Bose and at least two other leading Trinamool Congress (TMC) figures on Friday. Beginning at 6:30 am on the same day a week after two federal agency teams were attacked while attempting to examine the homes of two TMC functionaries at the block level, searches were conducted in North 24 Parganas and Kolkata.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a complaint in April 2023 based on an order from a Calcutta high court, which is related to the recent searches. Citing a preliminary probe, the ED stated that it indicates the potential size of the alleged ₹200 crore recruitment scam in civic organizations. It discovered purported anomalies in towns while looking into a money laundering trail related to a school recruitment case.
The state cabinet has approved over 6,000 appointments in the gram panchayat and panchayat samitis, at a time when federal agencies are investigating claims of corruption in the appointments of school and civic body employees throughout West Bengal. This has led the opposition to accuse chief minister Mamata Banerjee of staging a charade ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Approximately 6,000 appointments to gram panchayats and panchayat samitis have been accepted by the state cabinet at a time when federal agencies are looking into allegations of corruption in the appointments of personnel to civic bodies and schools across West Bengal. As a result, the opposition has accused Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister, of putting on a farce in front of the Lok Sabha elections.
The TMC launched a campaign called "Jaan ki Baat," which translates to "voice of the people," in an attempt to undermine Prime Minister Narendra Modi's well-liked radio program "Maan ki Baat." The youth unemployment rate in the nation was the main topic of the data-heavy film. Bengal water resources minister Manas Bhunia, who was present at the cabinet meeting headed by the chief minister, stated, “The appointments will be made across all three layers of the panchayat system. There are some fresh posts among them.
