Noting, Drafting, Office Procedure and Record Maintenance

This PDF is a practical Office Procedures Manual compiled by a retired PWD engineer, bringing together essential rules, codes, and best practices followed in Government of West Bengal offices, especially the Public Works Department (PWD). It serves as a quick reference for day-to-day administration, file movement, noting & drafting, record management, disciplinary procedures, and financial/works protocols.

What the document covers

1) Office discipline & attendance

• Rules on punctuality, late attendance, signing registers, leave deductions, and disciplinary action for habitual late coming (FD Audit Branch Memorandum).
• Five-day working week and prescribed office hours.

2) Conduct, duties & service rules

• Duties of Government employees under WBSDROR, 1980: integrity, impartiality, devotion to duty.
• Annual Confidential Reports (ACR), special reports, misconduct reporting, penalties, suspension, resignation during enquiry (PWD Code).
• Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013: ICC constitution and examples of prohibited conduct.

3) Record management & service books

• How files are recorded, indexed, reviewed, retained, and weeded.
• Preservation periods for PWD records (cash books, MBs, bills, service books, etc.).
• Maintenance and annual verification of Service Books; transfer procedures.
• Record rooms, fire safety, fumigation, and destruction protocols.

4) Noting & drafting (office procedure)

• How to write notes: concise analysis, courteous language, proper signing/date, no overwriting.
• Drafting rules: letters, office memoranda, inter-departmental notes, DO letters; clarity, brevity, summaries for long communications.
• Proper addressing, endings (“Yours faithfully”), dating initials.

5) PWD Works & Financial compliance

• Preconditions for commencement of works (AA/TS/WO), contract execution timelines (GFR 2017).
• Raising and checking of bills; measurement book references; percentages for check measurement.
• Verbal orders discouraged unless confirmed in writing.
• Tender scrutiny, performance certification of agencies, site-based estimates.
• Reporting of losses, stock surveys, and responsibility for negligence/fraud.
• Inspection of divisional/sub-divisional offices.

6) Practical templates & examples

• Examples of how to draft reports prefacing estimates.
• Real-world illustrations from PWD files and eOffice screenshots for context.

Who should use this PDF

• PWD engineers & technical officers (AE/SAE/JE)
• Dealing Assistants, Section Officers, HoOs
• Accounts/Works staff handling bills, MBs, tenders
• New recruits preparing for departmental procedures
• Anyone needing a quick compliance checklist for West Bengal Government offices

Why it’s useful

• Consolidates scattered rules (PWD Code, WBFR, WBWD Manual, WBSR, GFR 2017) into one place.
• Helps avoid audit objections, procedural lapses, and disciplinary exposure.
• Improves file quality, record hygiene, and turnaround time in government offices.