Bengal Retrenchment Committee

THE Bengal Government has just appointed a Committee to recommend retrenchments in the expenditure of the local Government with Sir Rajendranath Mukerjee as president and with four other members, three of whom are members of the Legislative Council. The Committee is asked to make recommendations for effecting “all possible reductions in expenditure” and it will have a free hand in its enquiries. It is specifically asked to give its opinion whether it would be desirable to relieve provincial revenues by delegating financial powers and responsibilities to local bodies in the matter of adopting schemes of greater expansion in education and sanitation and agriculture. As regards the question of policies the Government says:--“It may be that the Committee’s enquiries will lead them to recommend changes of policy. The decision as to the action to be taken on such recommendation must rest with the local Government, but the Governor in Council does not wish to limit in any way the scope of the Committee’s investigation and it will be open to them to indicate the economies which might be effected if particular policies were adopted, modified or abandoned”. The language of the resolution, though resembling that of the Government of India, seems to be clearer and more precise as indicating what the Government wants. The Bengal Government recognises the fact that any effective proposal for retrenchment would involve the examination of policies and the Committee should have perfect freedom in this respect. Moreover, it will only appreciate this freedom when it knows that its labours will be fruitful and not wasted. The Bengal Government will be free to accept or reject any particular recommendation of the Committee after it has been examined in the Council.