West Bengal Government constitutes Commission of Inquiry on Institutional Corruption since 2011; Raju Bista welcomes move

PTI, July 15, 2026, Kolkata : The BJP led Government of West Bengal has decided to constitute a Commission of Inquiry on Institutional Corruption under the chairmanship of Hon'ble Justice Biswajit Basu, retired Judge of the Calcutta High Court.

The information has been notified in the Calcutta Gazette published on July 13, 2026, through Notification No. 104-COM/PL/O/44C-10/26, issued by the Home and Hill Affairs Department, Commissions of Inquiry Cell, Nabanna, Howrah. The notification is dated July 10, 2026, and has been issued by order of the Governor.

According to the notification, the Commission has been constituted under sub-section (1) of Section 3 of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, to inquire into allegations of institutional corruption and financial irregularities across various government departments and institutions in West Bengal during the period from 2011 to May 2026.

The notification states that allegations have been received regarding corruption in several sectors, including education, food and supplies, disaster management relief, municipalities, panchayats, housing, fisheries, industry, Public Works Department (PWD), land and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) area.

The Commission will be chaired by Hon'ble Justice Biswajit Basu, Retired Judge of the Calcutta High Court. It will also include a senior IPS officer as the head of the Investigating Wing, an IAS/WBCS officer as the head of the Administrative Wing and ex officio Member Secretary, and an officer from the West Bengal Revenue Service (WBRS) as a technical expert. The Commission may also co-opt other members or experts with the approval of the State Government.

The Commission has been tasked with investigating cases of institutional corruption, including allegations relating to bribery, extortion and financial irregularities in government projects such as Cyclone Amphan rehabilitation, PMAY, 100 Days' Work and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.

Among its functions are inquiries into allegations of abuse of authority, misuse of powers, financial irregularities involving State and Central Government schemes, misuse of arrest powers, illegal constructions, corruption in public employment, corruption in educational institutions and medical institutions, and other matters considered relevant by the Commission.

The Commission has been vested with powers of a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, and shall exercise powers under Sections 4, 5, 5A and 5B of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952. These include summoning witnesses, examining persons on oath, requiring the production of documents, receiving evidence on affidavits, requisitioning public records, issuing notices for examination of witnesses or documents, and framing its own procedure.

The Commission will also receive complaints of institutional corruption from members of the public, recommend the registration of FIRs where anomalies or irregularities are detected, and submit periodic reports with its findings and recommendations to the State Government. The notification clarifies that the Commission will not function as a substitute for statutory investigating agencies and will not examine matters already under investigation by statutory commissions or Central investigating agencies.

Reacting to the notification, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said: “This timely and decisive step by the Hon’ble Chief Minister Sh. Suvendu Adhikari Ji and the Government of West Bengal demonstrates a strong commitment to transparency, accountability and good governance. By ordering a comprehensive probe into institutional corruption across multiple sectors from 2011 to May 2026, including the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) area, the State Government has sent a clear message that no one is above the law and that all acts of corruption, bribery, extortion and tola-baazi will be accounted for.

“For decades, the Trinamool Congress leaders and their counterparts in our GTA region have indulged in open looting of the people and public resources. From ghotala in education, health, food and supplies, Har Ghar Jal, AMRUT, municipalities, Mahakuma Parishad, panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, PMGSY, PMAY, rural development, MGNREGA, roads, PHE, disaster management and relief, housing, PWD, land and land reforms to every other sphere of public life where they have indulged in ghotala will be investigated and those involved will be dealt with under the strictest provisions of law.

“This Commission, with its wide-ranging powers, gives hope to common citizens, disaster-affected families, businesses, citizens and community organisations, youth and students who have suffered for the past 15 years, that their concerns will now be heard and examined fairly. The Commission will directly take inputs from the people and visit sites to examine instances and accusations of corruption", he said.

He added, “I thank Hon’ble Chief Minister Sh. Suvendu Adhikari Ji for this proactive and courageous initiative. This reflects a new era of responsive governance focused on cleaning up the system instead of hiding problems, and rebuilding public trust."

He also said, “I further urge the Commission to take up cases from the Hills, Terai and Dooars on priority and ensure that the probe remains impartial, time-bound and transparent. The people of North Bengal are watching with expectation and will fully cooperate with the Commission in the larger interest of justice.”