West Bengal Secretariat Manual
Preface
The ‘Secretariat Instructions’ of the then Government of Bengal were first published in 1912 as a part of the Rules of Business. The genesis of the Secretariat Manual lied in the felt need of having a compilation of the instructions to be followed by the Secretariat Departments; the name “Secretariat Manual” appeared for the first time in the 1941 edition.
It has undergone revisions with the passage of time, with the last revision occurring in 2005. Since then, many changes in the functioning of the Government have required modifications in Secretarial Procedure. Over time, governance has witnessed a number of reforms:
- Introduction of e-Office and IT-enabled services has changed office procedures.
- Creation and reorganization of Departments has brought new fields under the transaction of Government business.
Therefore, a further revision of the Secretariat Manual became imperative. This Manual codifies the present procedure for the transaction of business, regarding relevant rules and orders in force. Efforts have been made to make the manual user-friendly; it will be available online in a searchable PDF format with navigation links.
The instructions contained in this Manual are to be followed by all Secretariat Departments. A six-member committee, headed by Sri Nirmalya Ghoshal, IAS, Commissioner (Home & Hill Affairs Department), prepared the first draft following intensive discussions with stakeholders.
The Personnel and Administrative Reforms (PAR) Department is responsible for updating the Manual. Reference may be made to the PAR Department whenever a need arises for updating any provision.
Download: West Bengal Secretariat Manual