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News Desk: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that those who know Bengali would be preferred over those who don’t when applying for state government jobs.
The move is being seen as a strong push for ensuring government jobs for domicile residents in the state. Addressing an administrative meeting in the Malda district on Wednesday, Banerjee said those residing in Bengal must get priority for such jobs.
“I am saying this for all states. For jobs being created in Bengal, residents of Bengal should get the preference. You must know the Bangla language and be a resident of Bengal” Banerjee said.
“The same may apply for those residing in Bihar or UP or else, people there will hold the local government accountable. For all states, domicile residents must get the jobs being created there” she added.
Banerjee’s announcement assumes significance as it comes on the heels of a growing demand for ensuring government jobs for the domicile population in West Bengal with organisations like Bangla Pokkho petitioning the government to announce a reservation.
The Bengal chief minister said when non-domicile candidates get recruited for such jobs and do not know the local language, people suffer. “When a candidate is recruited in a good position and he does not know the local language, the local population suffers. When they come forth with their grievances, local officers do not understand. They can neither read their letters nor answer them. So, learning the local language is a must. How else will they solve people’s problems” she asked.
Banerjee also directed state chief secretary HK Dwivedi to ensure a protocol to address the language barrier while recruiting. “Without knowing the regional language, one cannot work at the district and block levels” she said.
