Kolkata, July 15: The West Bengal government announced on Tuesday the formation of a judicial commission to investigate various alleged cases of institutional corruption that occurred during Mamata Banerjee‘s tenure from 2011 to 2026.
The commission will be led by retired Justice Biswajit Basu of the Calcutta High Court. According to a notification issued from the Nabanna state secretariat, the commission will examine corruption allegations across various state government departments, including education, food and supplies, relief and disaster management, urban bodies, and fisheries.
A source from the state secretariat indicated that the commission will also investigate alleged police excesses, such as unlawful detentions and framing innocent individuals in false cases. Justice Basu will head the commission, while a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer will oversee the investigation.
Administrative tasks will be managed by an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer or a senior officer from the West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS). A representative from the West Bengal Revenue Service (WBRS) will handle the technical aspects of the commission’s operations. The source mentioned that additional members may be included in the commission if necessary.
The commission will also recommend methods for recovering any allegedly embezzled funds from the responsible parties. For investigative purposes, the commission will have the authority to summon individuals for questioning.
According to the state secretariat source, “If the commission finds evidence of corruption, it may recommend that the police file FIRs in the relevant cases. The commission will periodically submit reports on the progress of its investigations to the state government.”
Last month, West Bengal’s Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta announced that the state government would soon release a departmental white paper detailing various financial irregularities that occurred during the previous Mamata government.
Dasgupta stated that these white papers would explain why the state’s debt increased significantly from 2011 to 2026 and why there were unnecessary delays in implementing several key development projects. He also mentioned that the new state government would present the reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in the West Bengal Assembly, an issue that was completely overlooked during Mamata Banerjee’s previous administration.
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