“Roshni chand se hoti hai, sitaron se nahi; Mohabbat Trinamool Congress se hoti hai, aur kisi se nahi! On Trinamool Congress Foundation Day, I wholeheartedly thank every single member of our extended family. Over the course of two decades, every protest, every victory, and even every challenge has reaffirmed our core belief: politics is not about power but about SERVICE. As we celebrate this milestone, I urge every Trinamool soldier to renew their pledge to fight for the people and remember that the soul of our party is rooted in the ethos of Maa, Mati, Manush,” the TMC supremo posted on her X handle.
With the Assembly elections in the state scheduled for April-May next year, sources said the chief minister was planning to make changes in the administration and has called a ‘mega’ administrative review meeting on Thursday where top officials of the administration, heads of all departments, all District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police will be present.
“After the turmoil in neighbouring Bangladesh, the situation in West Bengal has also deteriorated. Arrests of alleged members of terror outfits and those involved in fake passports have been made in the state. The Opposition parties are questioning the police. Therefore, at the administrative review meeting, the chief minister may send out a strong message to the state police force,” a senior official at Nabanna, the state secretariat, said.
Two weeks ago, the TMC government also started disbursement of money for the “Banglar Bari” scheme, a housing scheme launched by the state government.
Out of 12 lakh beneficiaries so far, more than 8 lakh beneficiaries have received the first instalment from the state government, while the remaining will receive the instalments by the coming week, sources said.
Another 18 lakh beneficiaries will be given the scheme’s benefits in 2025, they added. This year, the state government is set to spend more than Rs 50,000 crore on the scheme.
“In 2025, the state government will have a huge financial burden for these Banglar Bari and Lakshmir Bhandar schemes. Banerjee may give necessary instructions to the administration to mitigate such a burden. On the other hand, because of this burden, normal development work is being neglected. The chief minister may give necessary instructions for that also at Thursday’s meeting as infrastructural work is also important before the Assembly elections,” another official added.
Also, administration sources said, Banerjee gave a message to the administration on “zero tolerance for corruption.
Meanwhile, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who is considered Number 2 in the party, in a post on X wrote: “2024 has tested our endurance, pushing us to confront every challenge head-on and emerge stronger, unyielding in our commitment to stand against those who seek to divide and deprive us… What has truly stood out is the love and blessings of gonodebota (the people). Without their grace, we would be incomplete. I am deeply grateful to each and every one of you for making this year memorable.”
Trinamool Congress was founded on January 1, 1998 by Mamata Banerjee after she resigned from the Congress.