Malda Training Diary
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Page 1 of 1 ATI Monograph 13/2006 For restricted circulation only A Probationer’s Training Diary COVER PAGE P. Bhattacharya Learning to Serve Administrative Training Institute Page 2 of 2 Government of West Bengal Page 3 of 3 ATI Monograph 13/2006 For restricted circulation A Probationer’s Training Diary TITLE PAGE P. Bhattacharya Learning to Serve Administrative Training Institute Government of West Bengal Page 4 of 4 Block FC, Bidhannagar (Salt Lake) Kolkata-700106 Page 5 of 5 PREFACE New entrants to the Indian Administrative Service and the West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) have to maintain a Training Diary as part of their district training. While supervising their work in the districts, the ATI faculty has found that in the majority of cases the probationers do not maintain their diaries properly, although these are intended to be records of the details of the training they undergo so that superior officers can check whether they have assimilated the proper lessons from the exposure in the field. During interactions with their Counsellors in the ATI, the trainees have complained that they are handicapped by not having an example to follow. A similar handicap has been reported regarding writing reports of enquiries assigned to probationers in the district. In view of this feedback, the ATI is publishing the diary I maintained in detail as probationer in Malda in 1972, trusting that it will provide civil service probationers with an example of how a training diary can be maintained. We were supposed to send the National Academy of Administration an official training diary and also maintain a personal one. Shri B.N. Yugandhar, the Deputy Director in charge of our training in Mussoorie(now Member of the Planning Commission), had told us in what format the diary was to be maintained. I stopped maintaining the personal diary after 14.8.1972 since nothing of personal interest was happening. The reports of enquiries I was assigned have also been reproduced as they cover a variety of subjects and may provide some guidance regarding how an enquiry report is to be written. As the diary includes coverage of evacuee-relief work in the aftermath of the birth of Bangladesh and of the creation of the first district development plan in West Bengal, the account is of some historical interest. An article I wrote on this which was published in The Administrator, quarterly journal of the National Academy of Administration, is appended. Later I was told that the photographs I used to send with my monthly training diary had been put up during a visit to the NAA by the President of India, Shri V.V. Giri. Opinions about places and persons recorded in the diary may reflect the trainee’s immaturity but the intention is not to embarrass anyone. They have not been edited out—except in rare cases--in order to preserve the authenticity of the document as a record of a fresh entrant’s reactions to district administration. Much of what I have learnt as an officer is owed to Shri S.P. De, then District Magistrate of Malda. Even though he was my boss for just a few months, he left a lifelong mark on me and was a source of inspiration. One of the happiest days in my life was when he and Smt. De graced the marriage ceremony of my daughter Deepanjali in 1999. His demise in 2006 was a personal loss. This publication is dedicated to him and to his gracious wife for their firm guidance and the kindness they showed me. Pradip Bhattacharya IAS October 2006 International HRD Fellow (Manchester) Additional Chief Secretary Development and Planning Department & Director, Administrative Training Institute Page 6 of 6 Government of West Bengal Page 7 of 7 CONTENTS • Training Diary • Appendix I Orders • Appendix II Enquiry Reports • Appendix III Bangla Desh Free—A View from Malda Page 8 of 8 Arriving in Malda Under Home (General Administration) Department’s order No. 8073-GA/5C-186/71 dated 23rd December 1971 signed by Shri N. Nanda, Deputy Secretary, I had been appointed as Assistant Magistrate and Collector in the Jalpaiguri Division and posted to the headquarters station of Malda district. By another order No.8074-GA of the same date, the Governor had been “pleased to vest” me with the powers of a Magistrate of the “Third Class”—which sounded quite a let-down! Phase-I of the IAS Professional Training in the National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, was cut short on account of the war with Pakistan in 1971 and we were asked to report to the districts in January 1972. As advised by Shri J.K.Kohli, Deputy Director (Jr.) in the Academy from the West Bengal cadre (1956 batch), I wrote to the District Magistrate of Malda [Mr.Kohli was not sure who the District Magistrate in Malda was] from Mussoorie on 28.12.1971 as follows:- “Dear Sir, I am happy to know that for my training I have been deputed to Malda district, under your able guidance, and look forward to an interesting training programme under your supervision. I will be proceeding to Calcutta on the 9th January, 1972, after completing the Civil Defence Training at Nagpur. As we have been allowed only actual transit time, I should be in Malda by the 12th January at the very latest. I shall inform you as soon as possible about the exact date and time of my arrival and would be very grateful if you could possibly have someone to meet me at the station as I have never been to Malda previously. I hope some sort of accommodation could also be arranged? Looking forward to meeting you, Yours sincerely,” On 11th January 1972 I wrote to him from my Calcutta residence that I would be arriving at Malda Town at 23.30 hours on the 13th by Darjeeling Mail, and requested arrangements for accommodation and transport. I had been told at the NAA that some transport would be there to pick me up and that I should go to the Circuit House where accommodation would have been arranged. I reached Malda railway station around midnight and, to my dismay, found no sign of any vehicle; only cycle-rickshaws were in evidence. I had one portmanteau and a sack containing my father’s camp bed that he had advised me to take along for emergencies. A rickshaw took me to the Circuit House. After a lot of knocking and shouting a chowkidar emerged, who said there was no reservation for the Assistant Magistrate and appeared never to have heard of such a designation.1 On enquiring where I could stay, he guided me to the dak-bungalow nearby. There, too, after a lot of shouting a bleary-eyed chowkidar emerged (later I found he was named Hemanta) and told me I would have to share a room where 2 FCI officers were sleeping. He got them to open the door, and I blessed my luck for having carried the camp- bed (no third bed being available), which I set up with its mosquito-net, and went to sleep. Next morning, when I stepped out on the verandah, I found that the adjacent room was occupied in solitary splendour by an occupant, who turned out to be the West Bengal Civil Service probationer! The dak-bungalow had no modern sanitation and one had to use wooden commodes that were manually cleaned by female sweepers. At my request, Mr. S.N. Roy Chowdhury (WBCS 1970) took me to call on the DM in his bungalow office. I went wearing my ‘gala-bundh’ (buttoned up) suit as I felt this was the first 1 Later, as the Under Secretary Home Department, I ensured that our IAS probationers in the Academy were provided with names of the concerned DMs so that they did not face the problems I did. Page 9 of 9 formal calling-on and I must be properly dressed. Shri S.P.De, the DM, asked me to be seated and then directed me to the Senior Deputy Collector (Sr.D.C.) in the Collectorate for completing joining formalities. 14th January 1972 Work done Joined duty as Assistant Magistrate & Collector. Copies of joining statement sent to: Chief Secretary, AG West Bengal, Commissioner (Jalpaiguri Division), DM (Malda), Treasury Officer (Malda) under memo number 237(5)-G dated 17.1.1972. Went through library. Ancient Govt. Orders. Took District Gazetteer. Officers met Madhusudan Bhattacharya: Sr. Dep.Collr.WBCS – 1962 T.P Ghosh : Dep. Magis. WBCS – 1966 N.R Halder : A.DM, IAS, 1965 batch, here since 1969. M.B Chowdhury : SDO, Land Reforms (SLRO). Proshanto Bhattacharya: Dep. Magis. (Prob.) W.B.C. S.N Roy Chowdhury : Dep. Magis. (Prob.) W.B.C.S Basak : Agent, S.B.I C.D Mitra : Asst. Manager, FCI. From Harinabhi D.C Bhattacharji: Asst. Manager, FCI. From Rajpur J.N Banerjee : Accounts Officer, A/G W.B Ajit Dutta : CARE Officer, Malda Information gathered Tremendously under–staffed administration: posts of 3 Dy. Magistrates vacant. Result: Monumental backlog of work, especially judicial. Only new dates for cases are given. No sittings owing to pressure of executive work. Over 400 cases lying with Sr.Dy.Colr. alone. Added distress: Election Booths to be up by 31st. January with effect from today. Many booths have been destroyed. Problem of updating electoral rolls & making booths in one week. Last year Refugees + FloodÆ huge backlog of T.A bills which are still unsigned, evoking representations from claimants. One such from Settlement Dept. occurred today, extremely bitter over the delay in payment as they often had to spend out of their own pockets.