Bengal CM Adhikari's second 'Janata Darbar' draws huge response as people queue up with grievances

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday held his second weekly Janata darbar with job seekers teachers professionals and ordinary citizens turning up in large numbers to place their grievances directly before the states new CM reported PTILong before Adhikari arrived hundreds of people thronged the BJP state office in Salt Lake near here turning the narrow lanes around the building into a waiting loungeJob aspirants carried files and elderly citizens clutched bundles of papers while representatives from teaching associations nurses women police jobseekers and others hoping years of unanswered appeals would finally find a hearing were presentFrom early morning long queues formed outside the party office as people carrying petitions and memoranda waited patiently for an opportunity to interact with the chief minister who launched the initiative after assuming office on May 9 as part of a direct public outreach exercise reported PTIThe first Janata darbar was held on May 18Chants greet CM Adhikari as people from across Bengal gather at party officeAccording to PTI as Adhikari reached the venue around 10 am chants of Jai Shri Ram Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Vande Mataram echoed through the areaMany had travelled from districts and farflung corners of the state seeking a firsthand audienceThe gathering reflected the diversity of Bengals social landscape representatives of teachers associations Group D aspirants medical professionals parttime teachers victims of alleged poll violence and individuals seeking intervention in civic and personal mattersInside the party office around 100 individuals and delegations managed to place their grievances before the chief minister according to party sources reported PTIJob seekers raise recruitment concerns before Suvendu Adhikari in BengalAccording to PTI representatives from nearly 15 organisations of job seekers and employees submitted memoranda and highlighted recruitment and servicerelated concernsEmploymentrelated issues dominated the interactions Delegates representing the group of 26000 eligible school job losers appealed for restoration of jobs based on merit Others sought resumption of permanent recruitment in technical education institutions and raised issues concerning appointments and service conditionsOne of the days most poignant moments came when 81yearold Bhabanipur resident Prabir Mukhopadhyay met the chief minister with a complaint regarding an alleged landforflat dispute involving arrested businessman Biswajit Poddar alias Sona Pappu and promoter Joy KamdarMukhopadhyay claimed he had handed over ancestral land for a development project but never received the promised flat after construction was completed Living in a rented accommodation with his wife the elderly petitioner later said he felt reassured after meeting the chief minister reported as per PTII am relieved He assured me that my issue would be looked into he saidCrowds gather as grievances are raised before Suvendu AdhikariAmong those present were representatives of the West Bengal Women Police Jobseekers Sangrami Manch who sought intervention over alleged anomalies in recruitment criteria for women police personnel Others highlighted civic concerns and administrative grievancesThe turnout however exceeded the venues capacity and many could not get entry despite waiting for hoursSecurity personnel had a difficult time managing the crowds as people continued arriving throughout the dayBJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar was seen personally escorting an elderly citizen through the crowd after noticing his difficulty standing in the queue reported PTIAdhikari had announced the weekly programme after taking charge as chief minister saying citizens would be able to meet him directly every Monday morningThe weekly outreach initiative is increasingly emerging as one of the BJP governments early publicfacing governance exercises after coming to power in Bengal Similar public hearing models have often featured in BJPruled states and are projected by the party as instruments of accessibility and quicker grievance redressalAround noon Adhikari left for the state secretariat Nabanna for official engagements But outside the party office many continued waiting hopeful that if not a personal audience at least their petitions would make their way to the chief ministers desk reported PTIInputs from PTI