The West Bengal government has introduced a new initiative aimed at strengthening the bond between the state leadership and the police force. Under a fresh directive, all IPS and WBPS officers up to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) will receive birthday greetings from the Chief Minister.
According to the order, all Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) have been instructed to ensure that every eligible officer within their jurisdiction receives a greeting card and a bouquet on the morning of their birthday or during the early office hours of the day.
To facilitate the process, all police units have been directed to send an authorised messenger to the office of the DSP (HQ), West Bengal Police Directorate
(WBPD), Bhabani Bhawan, Alipore, to collect the greeting cards. The units have also been instructed to submit a list of IPS and WBPS officers, along with their dates of birth, from 4 July 2026 during office hours.
For officers posted in Kolkata, excluding those under the Kolkata Police jurisdiction, the responsibility of coordinating the delivery of greeting cards and bouquets has been entrusted to the DSP (HQ), WBPD, with assistance from the DSP (Sub-CR), WBPD.
The initiative is being viewed by many within the police establishment as an unusual but significant administrative gesture. While seemingly symbolic, officials believe it adds a personal touch to the relationship between the government and the police force.
Speaking to News18, a senior police officer said, “This is a very different approach and will definitely create a feel-good factor. Policing is an extremely demanding and stressful profession. A gesture like this gives it a different touch and motivates officers. There is a sense of happiness across the police fraternity.”
Department insiders say the new Chief Minister has consistently sought to boost the morale of the police force since assuming office. They point to several instances where the Chief Minister publicly backed police personnel during challenging law-and-order situations.
When violence broke out in Park Circus and later in Asansol, the Chief Minister personally visited Park Circus to assess the situation. On that occasion, the Chief Minister remarked that if any harm came to police personnel, the Police Minister “would not sit in an air-conditioned office”, a statement that was widely interpreted within the force as a strong show of support for frontline officers.
Officials also contrast the present approach with several incidents during the previous government, including the Murshidabad riots and violence in Raiganj, where police personnel were allegedly assaulted while attempting to control unrest. According to officers, there were occasions when policemen came under attack from mobs and were unable to take decisive action because of operational and administrative constraints.
Against that backdrop, many officers believe that symbolic measures such as personalised birthday greetings, coupled with repeated public expressions of support from the state’s political leadership, can have a positive impact on morale. They argue that while the initiative does not alter policing on the ground, it acknowledges the contribution of officers serving under demanding conditions and reinforces a sense of recognition from the highest level of the government.
