Mamata wants to teach English to WB babus

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s command over English might not be strong enough but in an effort to teach the state civil servants the Queen’s language, she has asked the personnel and administrative reforms (PAR) department to tie up with British Council to work out a training schedule for the civil service (executive) officers.

In a recent meeting with these officers, the Mamata had expressed displeasure over a considerable number of officers’ inability to speak English.

Citing her own inferiority complex because of her lack of English speaking skills when she became a Parliamentarian for the first time, Mamata said though most of the officers are proficient in writing English, they often fall short in communication, sources said.

According to an official in the Chief Minister’s Office, “The Chief Minister then instructed the officers concerned to design a module with an organisation so that the officers can hone their communication skills”.

Following the directive, PAR Secretary A R Bardhan held the first round of talks with Director of British Council in east, Sujata Sen, and academic head Sam Valentine so that they design a special course for the WBCS officers.

However, the measures to teach spoken English to the state’s premier service cadre have not gone down well with the WBCS officers. “Many of the IAS officers are not great speakers of the language. Why suddenly WBCS officers are being singled out? It is derogatory of the state's civil service cadre,” said a WBCS officer.