Kolkata, May 27 : A Chief Minister's office (CMO) in West Bengal on the lines of the PMO, which would be double the strength to the one under Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, is being given shape by Mamata Banerjee to keep close tabs on the administration.
The 'Super CMO' as it is being touted would be the real centre of power with the working of all departments to be monitored by it and instructions given on speeding up projects, state secretariat sources told PTI.
Known as the 'CM's Secretariat' during the times of Jyoti Basu, the Chief Minister's office came into being in 2009 during the tenure of Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
The CMO, under Bhattacharjee, was mainly to deal with portfolios held by him and for liaison with the Centre and offices outside the state.
The CMO, with seven to eight officials, during Bhattacharjee's times used to look into the work of other departments only when they were referred to it by the chief secretary.
The 'Super CMO' being set up by Banerjee would have double the strength with control over all departments, the sources said.
It would also develop a data bank with details of all development programmes under various departments, they said.
The Development and Planning Ministry with former chief secretary Manish Gupta as its Minister will assist the 'Super CMO' in monitoring development programmes and implementing new planning with guidelines as required, the sources said.
Gautam Sanyal, who is in the central secretariat service and worked as OSD to the Railway Minister, is likely to join as the Chief Minister's new principal secretary, the sources said.
Santanu Basu, an IAS officer, working as private secretary to the Railway Minister, will also join the Chief Minister's office.
Tapas Chaudhury, now posted as Kolkata Municipal Corporation's municipal secretary, is likely to be the private secretary to the Chief Minister.
An IPS officer is also likely to join the CMO, the sources said.
To make way for the new entrants, P Banerjee, joint secretary, Syed Nasiruddin, special secretary, Sailesh Mukherjee, private secretary to the Chief Minister and two additional private secretaries were released from the CMO on Tuesday.
According to the sources, Santanu Bose and Somnath De, both WBCS officers, working in the office of the chief electoral officer, have joined as OSD in the Chief Minister's office. PTI
