Bengal's Development Dilemma: How SIR Exercise Puts DMs in Tough Spot

Since the District Magistrates are also the District Electoral Officers, the state government apprehends that their involvement with the SIR might lead to a lack of regular monitoring of the progress of the state government's development projects.

"Hence, the office of the Chief Secretary, Manoj Pant, had given instructions to the District Magistrates to rationalise their workload between their electoral responsibilities and state administrative assignments," a senior official from the state secretariat, Nabanna, said.

He further said that the District Magistrates have been specially asked to keep a close vigil on the progress regarding projects 100-day job scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the state's own housing scheme of 'Banglar Bari', and the state's own rural road development scheme of 'Pathashree'.

"The District Magistrates were specially advised to personally ensure that land is available for the 'Pathashree' scheme. They were also instructed to personally monitor that the quality of road constructed under the 'Pathashree' scheme is at par with the prescribed standards," the state secretariat sources said.

The state government had also decided to send special teams to the district to review the progress of work under these development schemes.

Political observers feel that such instructions were an indirect administrative pressure on District Magistrates to give equal focus to state administrative assignments, instead of concentrating on the SIR exercise.

Political observers also feel that this "indirect administrative pressure" will put the District Magistrates in a dilemma.

If they neglect SIR duties due to workload pressure on account of state administrative function, they will face the wrath of the ECI, and in the reverse case, they will attract the ire of the state government.

- IANS