Kolkata: In a major step ahead of Durga Puja, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that all Information Technology (IT) staff engaged with Webel, Webel Technology Limited (WTL) and concerned agencies will be directly engaged as contractual staff of the Bengal government. With this move, the employees will become entitled to get all benefits of a contractual staff besides the coverage of Swasthya Sathi scheme for medical treatment. In a tweet on Friday evening, Banerjee stated: "Bengal is known for its e-governance & today Im pleased to announce my Pujo gift for young IT personnel working to improve our e-services for the people of Bengal. Webel/WTL/agency-engaged IT staff in state govt shall now be directly engaged as contractual staff of GoWB." Giving details of the benefits the staff will be receiving, she further mentioned in the tweet: "They will also get 30 days leave & 10 days medical leave annually along with usual maternity leaves for women. Theyll have tenure certainty till 60 years age & get Rs 3L on attaining 60 years as terminal benefit. Further, Swasthya Sathi will cover their medical expenses." The Chief Minister also congratulated all members of the IT team who have worked relentlessly during the Covid pandemic in ensuring smooth video conferences with all district authorities and even with the Centre to chalk out detailed plans of action to fight the pandemic. The Bengal government has successfully ensured 100 percent e-governance almost one-and-a-half-years ago and it has helped in moving to the second phase of creating web portals and apps to ensure better facilities to the people at the time of the pandemic. From administrative review meetings to coordination meetings of the state Health department, everything happened virtually beside the recent success of the state government in reaching to the grassroots level of all the 23 districts when Banerjee virtually inaugurated around 200 Durga Pujas. According to an expert, a revolution has taken place in Bengal in the IT sector as even Panchayats in the extreme part of the state like Baghmundi in Jhargram are now connected with video-conference facilities. Besides creating the necessary infrastructure, the state government has also taken a series of steps to create jobs in the IT and ITeS sector. Banerjee had launched "Karmo Bhumi" app in June using which thousands of IT professionals who returned to Bengal amidst Covid have searched for related jobs here.

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