The West Bengal cabinet has approved a proposal to offer Group D government jobs to the next of kin of people killed in political violence, with the eligibility criteria and implementation process to be set out in a formal government order.
A minister who attended the cabinet meeting said the decision was taken on Wednesday and that several Group D vacancies were available across the state. The minister said the government would soon declare who would qualify for the appointments.
The decision is expected to trigger an administrative exercise across Bengal. A senior official said district magistrates had already been asked to prepare reports on deaths linked to political violence in 2019, 2021 and 2024. These years included the Lok Sabha and Assembly election cycles during which political clashes and attacks were reported in different parts of the state.
Another official said the process would cover the next of kin of people who had died in political violence since 2000. The official added that the exact details of the scheme would become clear only after the government issued a formal notification.
The proposed appointments are intended to provide employment support to families that lost an earning member, but the notification will determine how the government defines political violence, establishes a death’s connection with such violence and verifies the relationship between an applicant and the deceased. It will also need to specify the documents required, the authority responsible for scrutiny and the timeline for processing applications.
The announcement follows longstanding political disputes over deaths linked to violence surrounding elections in Bengal. BJP leaders have claimed that more than 60 party workers were killed in the aftermath of the 2021 Assembly elections. The party has also alleged that workers were killed after the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. These claims were cited by BJP leaders in explaining the need for relief to affected families.
The minister said the scheme would not be restricted to one political party. “We cannot discriminate when we are in power. So, we will give jobs to the next of kin of victims of all parties within a stipulated time frame,” the minister said.
The proposal places district administrations at the centre of the next stage. Their reports will have to establish the number of deaths covered by the scheme before applications can be assessed and appointments processed. The state government’s formal order is the next required step and will clarify the scope, eligibility conditions and procedure for the jobs.
