People's Democracy

A DECISION was arrived at a meeting of ministers in the new Left Front government and of senior Left Front leaders that the ministers would function in an ambience marked by coordination and discipline towards accelerating the work of the government and ensuring development of the state at a faster pace.

Apprising the media in Kolkata at the Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan late in the afternoon on May 28, Polit Bureau member of the CPI (M) and Left Front leader, Biman Basu said that the meeting was addressed, among others by Jyoti Basu and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.

Jyoti Basu, while thanking the Left Front leadership for the united manner they had fought the onslaught of the reactionary forces leading to the electoral success, pointed out that by strengthening and further unifying the Left Front, the Left Front government, too, would become more powerful and more effective. The aim should be to build a better Left Front in the days to come.

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said that Left Front ministers must keep in mind the alternate outlook of the Left Front vis-à-vis the people and must also take care to bring more dynamism in the style of functioning of the administration. Bhattacharya also exhorted upon the ministers, especially the new entrants to the Left Front cabinet, to feel free to discuss with him matters of policy and procedure in the event of anyone running into any doubts and difficulties.

Biman Basu told the media that there was unanimity at the meeting that the entire work of coordination should be around the chief minister, especially in the matter of enhancing the pace of work of the ministries. As a leader of the team, the chief minister would coordinate the efforts of his cabinet colleagues.

The meting resolved that the concerned constituents of the Left Front should supervise the functioning of the ministers who are members of the respective political parties. The CPI (M) has already resolved to do this at an earlier meeting that it had with its ministers.

The Left Front leadership resolved to make sure that the state Left Front unit meet even more regularly than at present. There should be a minimum of two such meetings in the space of a month, Biman Basu said. The frequency of the meetings of the district-level Left Front units, too, should be increased.

In case of any need arises in the task of reviewing the working of the ministries, especially with regards to rectification and amelioration of problems, bi-lateral and tri-lateral sessions could be organized.

Ministers, the meeting resolved, should not announce any new policy measures before the concerned decisions have been arrived at the appropriate level.

Ministers should also develop a convention about making any comments on the ministry as a whole that might cause controversy to be fomented in the government.

Left Front ministers should refrain from making public comments either on another minister or on his functioning. In the event of any proposal of any minister not getting the approval of the cabinet, he or she should not make the matter public, especially by going to the media. Such matters should, instead be brought to the notice of the chief minister, preferably in writing and the latter would resolve the issue in due course.

Proposals could be submitted by the ministers of the Left Front government directly to the chief minister for his appraisal. This would be applicable in the instance of ministers representing Left Front parties other than the CPI (M). The latter, Biman Basu clarified, would do so to the development and planning minister, Nirupam Sen as per decisions taken at the meeting held of CPI (M) ministers at the Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan on May 25. Sen would process the proposals and suitably forward them for consideration of the chief minister.

The Left Front shall again meet on the eve of the commencement of the first session of the new Vidhan Sabha on and from June 14. The first meeting of the Left Front cabinet is scheduled for June 6.

Prior to the meeting participated in by ministers belonging to the Left Front, Biman Basu pointed out, the Left Front had met to unanimously decide upon the nomination of Hasim Abdul Halim of the CPI (M) as the speaker of the Vidhan Sabha, and Anil Mukherjee of the Forward Bloc as the deputy speaker. In another decision, Laxmikanta De was nominated as the chief whip of the Left Front.

The LF meeting also resolved to nominate councillor Nirmal Mukherjee and councillor Amal Mitra (both CPI-M) as the leader of the opposition and the chief whip respectively of the Left Front in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). They would replace Kantibhusan Ganguly and Sudhansusekhar Seal who had been elected as MLAs in this years Vidhan Sabha elections.