With Left in lurch, babus are making a beeline for Delhi

The possibility of a change of guard in West Bengal post the 2011 assembly election has left bureaucrats and police officers in the state scared, with many seeking central deputations.

In the past two months, the number of applications from IAS and IPS officers for deputation to central services outside Bengal has increased manifold. Incidentally, a majority of the applicants are known close confidants of the ruling Left Front.

Interestingly, there has been no attempt from the state government to persuade the officers to stay back. Sources in the state department told DNA that all such deputation applications submitted in the past two months had been cleared immediately after approval from the central department.

The most important applicant is deputy inspector general (Midnapore) Parveen Kumar, who was a key commander in ‘Operation Lalgarh’. He is leaving for Delhi by the weekend to join the central intelligence bureau, leaving the operation half-way.

State home secretary Ardhendu Sen said Kumar was trying for the deputation for quite some time. He admitted the DIG’s absence might create coordination problems in ‘Operation Lalgarh’, but said the state did not want to come in his way.

The state home department has also cleared the central deputation of deputy commissioner (south), Kolkata Police, Rajesh Subarna, who is also heading for central IB.