For 450-odd I-PAC staff, it’s back to work after manic Thursday
Times of India | 10 January 2026
Kolkata: Hours of tension written on the faces of 450-odd employees on Thursday turned to relief barely less than 24 hours later, as the eleventh-floor office of I-PAC, located at the Godrej Waterside in Sector V — in the eye of a political storm with the ED carrying out its search operation in the presence of CM Mamata Banerjee — swung back to "normalcy".
The idea of getting the employees back to work was floated by the CM herself on Thursday evening, just before leaving the I-PAC office. The CM enquired with its director, Pratik Jain, if the staff would resume working. She was told by the management that the staff was asked to work from home. It was decided that the staff would be asked to report back to the office from Friday to "restore normal work" as quickly as possible. Accordingly, instructions were sent to vertical heads. On Friday morning, the office reported near 100% attendance.
By then, a few employees trickled back after waiting anxiously outside the building for most of the day. "There was an apprehension that ED would seal our office premises. We were relieved that it did not happen. Most of us worked normally in the evening and even sent out press releases as on any other day," said one of them.
I-PAC on Thursday released a statement, harping on its portfolio with multiple parties cutting across multiple ideologies and claimed that the searches by ED "raises serious concerns and sets an unsettling precedent". "Regardless, we have extended full cooperation and will continue to do so as required engaging with the process in complete accordance and respect for the law," it read.
At the time when an ED officer came calling on Thursday, as early as 6.05 am, only a couple of employees and a guard were there. It was not until the CM's arrival that they realised they skipped breakfast. "CM Banerjee was kind enough to ask us if we ate something," said an employee.
There were some "visible" changes, though, right outside the office post the ED search, the most crucial one being the added police posting on the 11th floor. ID cards are being checked off and on. I-PAC director Jain was reportedly not in office even though a major meeting took place on Friday evening.
"Over the years, I-PAC has worked in a professional advisory capacity with multiple parties across ideologies and regions, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, All India Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, YSR Congress Party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now BRS), Janata Dal (United), Shiv Sena among others. We do not contest elections or hold political office. Our role is limited to transparent and professional political consulting, uninfluenced by differences in political ideology," it said.
The statement called Thursday a "difficult and unfortunate day" for I-PAC. "Despite what transpired yesterday, we remain fully committed to doing our work unfazed and unperturbed with consistency and accountability and guided by the same purpose that has shaped us from the start," it concluded. Employees, though, did not venture out much, and many opted to order food from office. "Our work has not stopped. Some who stayed back at night as a show of solidarity worked late to ensure uninterrupted coverage of Trinamool protests on Friday," said one of them.