West Bengal hamstrung by shortage of civil servants: Mamata

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today said that the state was hamstrung by serious shortage of IAS officers which was posing a big constraint in the functioning of the government.
"The sanctioned strength of IAS officers in the state is 314. While the available strength is only 212. But we badly need 317. Tell me how work can be done efficiently", Banerjee said at the inauguration of Civil Services Study Centre set up by the state government.
"Everytime I send a request for an officer, I am returned with a NA (not available) note. It is becoming problematic," the chief minister said.

Banerjee said that when her party came to power in the state she was determined to address this problem for which the present centre was set up.
She said that the promising students of West Bengal were going to other places for getting a berth in the civil services job.
"In future, Bengal will show that the state is also capable of producing civil servants," she said, adding, that the state government had introduced good governance practices like e-tendering, e-procurement and an administrative calender.
"For good governance, the number of civil servants will have to be increased," she stressed.
The Chief Minister also said that the civil services aspirants would also be given an exposure to the various administrative meetings which takes place to get a practical feel of how governments function.