West Bengal Secretariat Manual

Preface

‘Secretariat Instructions’ of the then Government of Bengal were first published in 1912 as a part of the Rules of Business. The genesis of Secretariat Manual lied in the felt need of having a compilation of the instructions to be followed by the Secretariat Departments and the name Secretariat Manual appeared for the first time in 1941 edition. It has undergone revisions with the passage of time and the last revision was done in 2005.

Since 2005, there have been many changes in the functioning of the Government requiring modification in Secretarial Procedure. Over time, governance has witnessed a number of reforms. Introduction of e-Office in particular and IT enabled services in general has inculcated changes in office procedure. New Departments have been created and old Departments reorganised with the resultant effect of covering many new and unexplored fields under the fold of transaction of business of the Government. Therefore, there remained an imperative for a further revision of the Secretariat Manual.

This Manual codifies in a convenient form the present procedure of transaction of business of this Government, regard being given to the relevant rules and orders in force. An attempt has been made to make the manual more users friendly. It will be available online in a searchable PDF format, with a detailed table of contents and convenient navigation links. The instructions contained in the Manual are to be followed by the Secretariat Departments.

A six member committee was constituted headed by Sri Nirmalya Ghoshal, IAS, Commissioner (Home & Hill Affairs Department) to prepare the first draft of the Manual. The committee held intensive discussions with different stakeholders. Thereafter the feedback has been duly incorporated before giving the Manual a final shape.

The Personnel and Administrative Reforms (PAR) Department has taken up the responsibility of updating the Manual. Reference may be made to the PAR Department whenever a need arises for updating any provision.

Download: West Bengal Secretariat Manual