Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today lambasted some political parties and persons with vested interests who had tried to drive a wedge between the state police and city police by spreading canards that the state government would not give puja bonuses to home guards under West Bengal Police and ASHA workers.
Miss Banerjee has assured that the civic volunteers of West Bengal Police will get a bonus worth Rs 5300 like their counterparts in Kolkata Police. Also, the ASHA workers will get a puja bonus worth Rs 5300.
Miss Banerjee tweeted “ Some ill-motivated political parties/ persons are trying to create divisions and animosity between different cadres of Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police. I assure you that the civic volunteers of WBP will also receive a puja bonus of Rs 5300, like their counterparts in Kolkata Police. Also, ASHA workers under the Health and Family Welfare department will get a puja bonus of Rs 5300. Happy Puja to my colleagues in the field.”
Leader of the Opposition Mr Suvendu Adhikari had earlier ruffled feathers by claiming disparity in the puja bonus between the civic volunteers of the state and their counterparts of the Kolkata police.
In a tweet, he claimed, “ The disparity in Puja Bonus being paid to the civic volunteers is baffling. While those employed by @KolkataPolice are being paid an amount in excess of Rs 5,000, their colleagues in @WBPolice are being paid a paltry amount of Rs 2000. This is what happens when the administration is operated from South Kolkata, the rest of West Bengal seems blurry to their eyes. Why this conspicuous difference? I have no problem with Kolkata Police civic volunteers receiving Rs 5,300, but the same amount should be provided to the rest of the Bengal civic volunteers as well”.