Kolkata: Busy juggling the phone receivers buzzing on the primary ground of West Bengal’s Raj Bhavan, Kaveri couldn’t take a lunch break Monday.
The door to her workplace has an indication that reads ‘Peace Room’.
The calls she has been answering aren’t coming to a daily helpline quantity, however one which has been arrange for these allegedly dealing with threats and intimidation within the run as much as the 8 July panchayat polls in West Bengal.
The round the clock helpline, which was arrange Saturday by Governor Dr C.V. Ananda Bose, to allow individuals to succeed in out to him, bought “over 500 calls inside 48 hours” of being arrange.
“Since morning, I’ve famous down 130 calls from numerous districts of West Bengal the place somebody is being threatened, somebody’s residence has been burnt down, and many others,” Kaveri, who can be Kolkata Raj Bhavan’s first lady phone operator, informed ThePrint Monday.
“The one which shook me probably the most is a case from Cooch Behar the place a seven-month pregnant lady, whose father-in-law is contesting the panchayat polls, has been threatened. The headmaster of the varsity the place she works has been warned towards permitting her to show,” she added.
In service for the previous 15 years, Kaveri mentioned there was at all times a hotline on the Raj Bhavan on which anybody, together with officers, might ring up the Governor. However now it has been transformed to a panchayat ballot helpline.
“Some individuals name to hunt the Governor’s medical grant, whereas some name to hunt an appointment with him. There’s at all times been a practical helpline however this one isn’t the identical,” mentioned Kaveri. “The Governor himself got here to the room this morning and gave us directions relating to the complaints we had been receiving.”
Like Kaveri, six different Raj Bhavan officers are engaged within the ‘Peace Room’, dealing with three telephones by turns. Every individual sits constantly for about four-five hours answering the phone, noting down the title, quantity, constituency and grievance of the caller. The official who attends the calls at evening is on a 12-hour shift.
“I wasn’t in a position to eat my lunch at this time. The gravity of the scenario is such that there is no such thing as a room to be below stress or stress. We’re all engaged to assist the people who find themselves calling us. We’re taking the small print from them and sending it to the Officer on Particular Responsibility (OSD) to the Governor who’s additional trying into the matter,” mentioned Kaveri.
Talking to ThePrint, the OSD to the Governor, Sandip Kumar Singh, mentioned that each one complaints had been being compiled and given to Dr Bose.
“We now have acquired over 500 calls up to now 48 hours. The grievances are being forwarded to the State Election Fee and Chief Secretary after directions from the Governor. We now have acquired complaints from all of the notable events preventing the panchayat polls,” he mentioned.
The Opposition, nonetheless, has had blended reactions to the ‘Peace Room’, with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) terming it ‘unconstitutional’ and Communist Occasion of India (Marxist) saying that such a helpline ought to have been arrange by the Election Fee.
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The West Bengal Raj Bhavan had introduced the helpline quantity, e mail ID and ‘Peace Room’ in a late-night communication to the media Saturday.
It said that in view of “continuation of the frequent subject visits of the Governor to violence-affected areas and in view of quite a few representations acquired from residents on legal intimidation in pre-poll Bengal, a assist room (Peace Room) has been opened in Raj Bhavan to answer the grievances of the general public. The Peace Room will refer the problems to the federal government and State Election Commissioner for acceptable motion”.
Talking to the media Monday after visiting the ‘Peace Room’, the Governor mentioned the state authorities had been responding to the messages being forwarded by the Raj Bhavan (primarily based on the helpline) and the complainants had been joyful that their issues had been being resolved.
“We acquired many complaints, of violence, of homicide, of intimidation. We are going to type them out and take them up with the suitable authorities for swift motion. The complainants are joyful to a big extent that immediate motion is being taken by the Raj Bhavan,” Dr Bose mentioned.
Nonetheless, talking to ThePrint, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee mentioned, “The Governor has no authority to open such a helpline. That is totally unconstitutional.”
CPI(M) chief Sujan Chakraborty additionally questioned the validity of the ‘Peace Room’. “This helpline ought to have been arrange by the Election Fee and never the Raj Bhavan. There might be questions on the legality of such a step taken for the primary time by the Raj Bhavan,” he informed ThePrint.
The BJP, nonetheless, welcomed the step taken by the Governor. Talking to ThePrint, BJP MP Dilip Ghosh mentioned: “The Bengal authorities thought that the Governor could be a mute spectator and easily agree with no matter reviews had been being despatched to him. The Governor is an ready administrator and individuals are joyful along with his proactive steps.”
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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