Kolkata, Oct 28 (IANS): In a novel way to ensure transparency, a West Bengal minister has put up a sign outside his office at the state secretariat Writers' Buildings, forbidding any meeting with people soliciting matters on tenders or contracts.

"Any person soliciting any meeting with the minister on tenders or contracts is strictly forbidden," the message says in Bengali outside Water Resources Investigation and Development Minister Soumen Mahapatra's office.

The notice also says "any effort to try and influence the minister will be futile". The idea behind putting up such a notice is to ensure transparency in the tender processes involving government departments which have been notorious for being influenced, said the minister Thursday.

The minister, through the notice, has also assured transparency in all the tenders that are awarded by the government to private players.

Mahapatra has notified that if any employee of his office harasses any person or asks for a bribe then the aggrieved person may directly approach the minister with the complaint for suitable punishment for the offender.

The government, under the stewardship of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has emphasised on ensuring better transparency and accountability in government functioning. Implementation of e-governance across the state in one of the major step taken in this regard.