GTA included in Statewide corruption inquiry

DARJEELING,: Addressing widespread allegations of corruption, the West Bengal government has constituted a “Commission of Inquiry on Institutional Corruption” to probe alleged financial irregularities across State departments, including the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) area, from 2011 to May 2026.

The independent Judicial Enquiry Commission has been constituted through a State gazette notification issued on July 10 to investigate and examine instances of institutional corruption and financial irregularities.

Speaking on the notification, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said, “By ordering a comprehensive probe into institutional corruption across multiple sectors from 2011 to May 2026, including the GTA area, the State government has sent a clear message that no one is above the law and that all acts of corruption, bribery, extortion and tola-baazi will be accounted for.”

“For decades, the TMC leaders and their counterparts in our GTA region have indulged in open looting of the people and public resources. From ghotala in Education, Health, Food and Supplies, Har Ghar Jal, AMRUT, Municipalities, Mahakuma Parishad, Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, PMGSY, PMAY, Rural Development, MGNREGA, Roads, PHE, Disaster Management and Relief, Housing, PWD, Land and Land Reforms to every other sphere of public life where they have indulged in ghotala, all will be investigated and those involved will be dealt with under the strictest provisions of the law,” he added.

The notification, issued by the Commissions of Inquiry Cell under the Home and Hill Affairs Department, states that “several allegations have been received from various quarters that institutional corruption has taken place during the year 2011 to May, 2026, at various sectors controlled by the Government.”

It further states that, in view of the situation, it was “necessary to appoint an independent Judicial Enquiry Commission to look into and examine such instances of institutional corruption and financial irregularities across all Departments, including all offices and institutions under their control, occurred throughout the State of West Bengal.”

According to the notification, the Commission on Institutional Corruption in West Bengal, under the chairmanship of Justice Biswajit Basu, retired Judge of the Calcutta High Court, has been tasked with conducting the inquiry. The commission will also include one senior IPS officer and one IAS/WBCS officer.

Apart from its various functions and powers, the commission has been authorised to recommend the prompt filing of FIRs by the respective police authorities if anomalies or irregularities are detected in any institution. It will also submit periodic reports on its findings and recommendations to the State government.

“This Commission, with its wide-ranging powers, gives hope to common citizens, disaster-affected families, businesses, citizen and community organisations, youth and students who have suffered for the past 15 years, that their concerns will now be heard and examined fairly. The commission will directly take inputs from the people and visit sites to examine instances and accusations of corruption,” Bista said.