Government of West Bengal

Government of West Bengal
State Emblem of India
Emblem version used by the Government of West Bengal as of July 2024
Overview
Established1 April 1937; 87 years ago (1937-04-01) (as Government of Bengal)
State Republic of India
LeaderChief Minister (Mamata Banerjee)
Appointed byGovernor (C. V. Ananda Bose) on the advice of the chief minister
Main organCouncil of Ministers
Ministries53 ministries
Responsible toLegislative Assembly of West Bengal
Annual budget3.046 trillion
HeadquartersNabanna, Howrah

The Government of West Bengal, also known as the West Bengal Government, is the principal administrative authority of the Indian state of West Bengal, created by the National Constitution as the state's legislative, executive and judicial authority.[1] The Governor acts as the head of state and is the highest nominal authority of the state power, however, it is the Chief Minister who is the chief executive authority and head of government.

The Chief Minister is the head of government and is vested with most of the executive powers. Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, houses the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. The temporary secretariat is located in the Nabanna building in the district of Howrah, adjacent to the state capital. The Calcutta High Court is located in Kolkata, which has jurisdiction over the whole of West Bengal and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The present Legislative Assembly of West Bengal is unicameral, consisting of 294 Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).[2] Including one nominated from the Anglo-Indian community it was 295 before is abolition. Its term is 5 years, unless sooner dissolved.

The current chief minister is Mamata Banerjee, who assumed the office on 20 May 2011. She is the founder and leader of the Trinamool Congress party, which won 184 seats (out of 294) in the 2011 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, 211 seats (out of 294) in the 2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election and 215 seats (out of 294) in the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.

Head Leaders

House Leader Portrait Since
Constitutional Posts
Governor of West Bengal C. V. Ananda Bose 23 November 2022
Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee 20 May 2011
Speaker of the House West Bengal Legislative Assembly Biman Banerjee 30 May 2011
Deputy Speaker of the House West Bengal Legislative Assembly Dr. Asish Banerjee 2 July 2021
Leader of the House West Bengal Legislative Assembly Mamata Banerjee 5 May 2021
Deputy Leader of the House West Bengal Legislative Assembly Sovandeb Chattopadhyay 28 July 2022
Leader of the Opposition West Bengal Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari 10 May 2021
Deputy Leader of the Opposition West Bengal Legislative Assembly Mihir Goswami 10 May 2021
Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court T. S. Sivagnanam 11 May 2023
Chief Secretary of West Bengal Dr. Manoj Pant 1 September 2024

History

On 18 January 1862, under the Indian Councils Act of 1861, a 12-member Legislative Council for Bengal was founded by the Governor-General of India with the Lt Governor of Bengal and some nominated members. The strength of this council was gradually increased by subsequent acts. Under the Indian Councils Act of 1892, the maximum strength of the council was increased to 20 members out of which seven members were to be elected. After the Indian Councils Act of 1909, the number raised to 50 members.[2]

Organization

  • The West Bengal government is divided into different ministries.

Departments

1 Agricultural Marketing
2 Agriculture
3 Animal Resources Development
4 Backward Classes Welfare
5 Consumer Affairs
6 Co-operation
7 Correctional Administration
8 Disaster Management and Civil Defence
9 Environment
10 Finance
11 Fire and Emergency Services
12 Fisheries
13 Food and Supplies
14 Food Processing Industries and Horticulture
15 Forests
16 Health and Family Welfare
17 Higher Education
18 Home and Hill Affairs
19 Housing
20 Industry, Commerce and Enterprises
21 Information & Cultural Affairs
22 Information Technology and Electronics
23 Irrigation and Waterways
24 Judicial
25 Labour
26 Land and Land Reforms and Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation
27 Law
28 Mass Education Extension and Library Services
29 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Textiles
30 Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education
31 Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy Sources
32 North Bengal Development
33 Panchayats and Rural Development
34 Parliamentary Affairs
35 Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs
36 Personnel and Administrative Reforms
37 Planning and Statistics
38 Power
39 Programme Monitoring
40 Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction
41 Public Health Engineering
42 Public Works
43 School Education
44 Science and Technology and Biotechnology
45 Self Help Group and Self Employment
46 Sundarban Affairs
47 Technical Education, Training & Skill Development
48 Tourism
49 Liquor
50 Tribal Development
51 Urban Development and Municipal Affairs
52 Water resources Investigation and Development
53 Women and Child Development and Social Welfare
54 Youth Services and Sports

[3]

Department and Secretaries

Serial Department Secretary
1 Chief Secretary Chief Secretary, Dr. Manoj Pant, IAS
2 Home and Hill Affairs Additional Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakravorty, IAS
3 Agriculture Principal Secretary, Onkar Singh Meena, IAS
4 Agricultural Marketing Principal Secretary (additional charge), Onkar Singh Meena, IAS
5 Animal Resources Development Additional Chief Secretary (additional charge), Vivek Kumar, IAS
6 Backward Classes Welfare Secretary, Sanjay Bansal, IAS
7 Consumer Affairs Principal Secretary, Neelam Meena, IAS
8 Co-operation Additional Chief Secretary, Dr. Krishna Gupta, IAS
9 Correctional Administration Secretary (additional charge), Jagdish Prasad Meena, IAS
10 Disaster Management and Civil Defence Additional Chief Secretary, Dushyant Nariala, IAS
11 Environment Principal Secretary (additional charge), Rajesh Kumar, IAS
12 Finance Additional Chief Secretary, Prabhat Kumar Mishra, IAS
13 Fire and Emergency Services Additional Chief Secretary, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, IAS
14 Fisheries Secretary, Roshni Sen, IAS
15 Food and Supplies Secretary, Parwez Ahmad Siddiqui, IAS
16 Food Processing Industries and Horticulture Principal Secretary, Khalil Ahmed, IAS
17 Forests Additional Chief Secretary (additional charge), Manoj Kumar Agarwal, IAS
18 Health and Family Welfare Principal Secretary, Narayan Swaroop Nigam, IAS
19 Higher Education Principal Secretary, (additional charge) Binod Kumar, IAS
20 Housing Principal Secretary, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, IAS
21 Industry, Commerce and Enterprises Secretary, Vandana Yadav, IAS
22 Information and Cultural Affairs Secretary, Santanu Basu, IAS
23 Information Technology and Electronics Additional Chief Secretary, Rajeev Kumar, IAS
24 Irrigation and Waterways Principal Secretary, Manish Jain, IAS
25 Judicial Principal Secretary, Siddhartha Kanjilal, WBJS
26 Labour Secretary, Avanindra Singh, IAS
27 Land and Land Reforms & Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation Additional Chief Secretary, Vivek Kumar, IAS
28 Law Principal Secretary, Pradip Kumar Panja, WBJS
29 Mass Education Extension and Library Services Additional Chief Secretary, Hirdyesh Mohan, IAS
30 Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and Textiles Principal Secretary, Rajesh Pandey, IAS
31 Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education Secretary (additional charge), P. B. Salim, IAS
32 North Bengal Development Additional Chief Secretary (additional charge), Dr. Subrata Gupta, IAS
33 Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy Sources Additional Chief Secretary, Barun Kumar Ray, IAS
34 Panchayats and Rural Development Secretary, Dr. P. Ulaganathan
35 Parliamentary Affairs Principal Secretary, (additional charge), Nandini Chakravorty, IAS
36 Pashimanchal Unnayan Affairs Secretary, Dr. Rashmi Kamal, IAS
37 Personnel and Administrative Reforms Secretary, Jagdish Prasad Meena, IAS
38 Planning and Statistics Additional Chief Secretary (additional charge), Prabhat Kumar Mishra, IAS
39 Programme Monitoring Secretary, Dr. P. B. Salim, IAS
40 Power Secretary (additional charge), Santanu Basu, IAS
41 Public Health Engineering Principal Secretary, Surendra Gupta, IAS
42 Public Works Secretary, Antara Acharya, IAS
43 Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction Secretary, Smita Pandey, IAS
44 School Education Principal Secretary, Binod Kumar, IAS
45 Science and Technology and Bio-technology Additional Chief Secretary, Dr. Subrata Gupta, IAS
46 Self Help Group and Self Employment Principal Secretary, Dr. Ravi Inder Singh, IAS
47 Sundarban Affairs Additional Chief Secretary, Atri Bhattacharya, IAS
48 Technical Education, Training & Skill Development Additional Chief Secretary, Anoop Kumar Aggarwal, IAS
49 Tourism Principal Secretary, (additional charge), Nandini Chakravorty, IAS
50 Transport Secretary, Dr. Saumitra Mohan, IAS
51 Tribal Development Principal Secretary, Choten Dhendup Lama, IAS
52 Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Secretary, Md. Ghulam Ali Ansari, IAS
53 Water Resources Investigation and Development Principal Secretary, (additional charge), Manish Jain, IAS
54 Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Principal Secretary, Sanghamitra Ghosh, IAS
55 Youth Services and Sports Principal Secretary, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, IAS

[4]

Council of Ministers

S.No Name[5] Portrait Constituency Assumed office[6] Department Party
1 Mamata Banerjee
(Chief Minister)
Bhabanipur 5 May 2021 TMC
Cabinet Ministers
2 Bankim Chandra Hazra Sagar 10 May 2021 TMC
3 Manas Bhunia Sabang 10 May 2021
  • Water Resources Investigation and Development
  • Irrigation and Waterways
TMC
4 Snehasis Chakraborty Jangipara 3 August 2022 TMC
5 Moloy Ghatak Asansol Uttar 10 May 2021 TMC
6 Aroop Biswas Tollyganj 10 May 2021
  • Power
  • Youth Affairs and Sports
  • Housing
TMC
7 Rathin Ghosh Madhyamgram 10 May 2021
  • Food and Supplies Department
TMC
8 Firhad Hakim Kolkata Port 10 May 2021 TMC
9 Chandranath Sinha Bolpur 10 May 2021
  • Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
  • Textiles
  • Correctional Administration
TMC
10 Sovandeb Chattopadhyay Khardaha 10 May 2021 TMC
11 Bratya Basu Dum Dum 10 May 2021 TMC
12 Pulak Roy Uluberia Dakshin 10 May 2021
  • Public Health Engineering
TMC
13 Shashi Panja Shyampukur 10 May 2021 TMC
14 Biplab Mitra Harirampur 10 May 2021
  • Agricultural Marketing
TMC
15 Javed Ahmed Khan Kasba 10 May 2021
  • Disaster Management and Civil Defence
TMC
16 Swapan Debnath Purbasthali Dakshin 10 May 2021
  • Animal Resources Development
TMC
17 Siddiqullah Chowdhury Manteswar 10 May 2021
  • Mass Education Extension and Library Services
TMC
18 Udayan Guha Dinhata 3 August 2022 TMC
19 Babul Supriyo Ballygunge 3 August 2022
  • Information Technology and Electronics
  • Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction
TMC
20 Pradip Mazumdar Durgapur Purba 3 August 2022
  • Rural Development and Panchayati Raj
  • Co-operatives
TMC
21 Md. Ghulam Rabbani Goalpokhar 7 August 2024
  • Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy Sources
TMC

References

Citations

  1. ^ "West Bengal (state)". Indian Government. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  2. ^ a b "The Parliament of West Bengal, India". cpahq.org. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  3. ^ "Departments". Government of West Bengal.
  4. ^ "Secretaries". Government of West Bengal.
  5. ^ Anupam Mishra Suryagni Roy (9 May 2021). "43 TMC leaders, including 17 new faces, to be sworn in as ministers in West Bengal cabinet on Monday". India Today. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Mamata's list of ministers features 17 new faces, including Manoj Tiwari". The Indian Express. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.

Sources