Government of West Bengal

The Government of West Bengal (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকার), 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.

Government of West Bengal
পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকার
Official emblem
State West Bengal
Country India
Websitewb.gov.in
Legislative branch
Assembly
SpeakerBiman Banerjee (AITC)
Deputy SpeakerDr. Asish Banerjee (AITC)
Members in Assembly294
Meeting placeBidhan Sabha Bhavan, Kolkata
Executive branch
GovernorC. V. Ananda Bose
Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee (AITC)
Chief SecretaryBhagwati Prasad Gopalika, IAS
HeadquartersNabanna, Howrah
Departments54
Judiciary
High CourtCalcutta High Court
Chief JusticeJustice T. S. Sivagnanam

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. 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 All India 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 edit

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 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 Bhagwati Prasad Gopalika 31 December 2023

History edit

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 edit

  • The West Bengal government is divided into different ministries.

Departments edit

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 Transport
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 edit

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

[4]

Council of Ministers edit

  • The West Bengal government[a] headed by Mamata Banerjee has 41 ministers. Among them, 11 are Ministers of State holding independent charge, 8 are junior ministers and 22 are senior ministers.[5]
  1. ^ The current government running is Third Mamata Banerjee ministry since 10 May 2021.
S.No Name[6] Portrait Constituency Assumed office[7] Department Party
1 Mamata Banerjee
(Chief Minister)
  Bhabanipur 5 May 2021 AITC
Cabinet Ministers
2 Bankim Chandra Hazra Sagar 10 May 2021 AITC
3 Manas Bhunia   Sabang 10 May 2021
  • Water Resources Investigation and Development
  • Environment
AITC
4 Snehasis Chakraborty Jangipara 3 August 2022 AITC
5 Moloy Ghatak Asansol Uttar 10 May 2021 AITC
6 Aroop Biswas   Tollyganj 10 May 2021
  • Power
  • Youth Affairs and Sports
  • Housing
AITC
7 Arup Roy   Howrah Madhya 10 May 2021
  • Co-operatives
AITC
8 Rathin Ghosh Madhyamgram 10 May 2021
  • Food and Supplies Department
AITC
9 Firhad Hakim   Kolkata Port 10 May 2021 AITC
10 Chandranath Sinha Bolpur 10 May 2021
  • Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
  • Textiles
AITC
11 Sovandeb Chattopadhyay   Khardaha 10 May 2021 AITC
12 Bratya Basu   Dum Dum 10 May 2021 AITC
13 Pulak Roy Uluberia Dakshin 10 May 2021
  • Public Health Engineering
AITC
14 Shashi Panja Shyampukur 10 May 2021 AITC
15 Biplab Mitra Harirampur 10 May 2021
  • Agricultural Marketing
AITC
16 Javed Ahmed Khan   Kasba 10 May 2021
  • Disaster Management and Civil Defence
AITC
17 Swapan Debnath Purbasthali Dakshin 10 May 2021
  • Animal Resources Development
AITC
18 Siddiqullah Chowdhury   Manteswar 10 May 2021
  • Mass Education Extension and Library Services
AITC
19 Udayan Guha Dinhata 3 August 2022 AITC
20 Babul Supriyo   Ballygunge 3 August 2022
  • Information Technology and Electronics
  • Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy Sources
AITC
21 Pradip Mazumdar Durgapur Purba 3 August 2022
  • Rural Development and Panchayati Raj
AITC
22 Partha Bhowmick Naihati 3 August 2022
  • Irrigation and Waterways
  • Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction
AITC
Ministers of State (Independent Charge)
23 Becharam Manna   Singur 10 May 2021
  • Labour
  • MoS in Panchayet and Rural Development
AITC
24 Subrata Saha Sagardighi 10 May 2021
  • Food Processing Industries and Horticulture
AITC
25 Akhil Giri Ramnagar 3 August 2022
  • Correctional Administration
AITC
26 Biplab Roy Chowdhury Panskura Purba 3 August 2022 AITC
27 Chandrima Bhattacharya Dum Dum Uttar 10 May 2021
  • MoS in Health and Family Welfare
  • MoS in Land & Land Reforms
  • MoS in Refugee and Rehabilitiation
  • MoS in Finance and Excise
AITC
28 Sandhya Rani Tudu   Manbazar 10 May 2021 AITC
29 Bulu Chik Baraik Mal 10 May 2021
  • Backward Classes Welfare
  • Tribal Development
AITC
30 Sujit Bose Bidhannagar 10 May 2021
  • Fire and Emergency Services
AITC
31 Ujjal Biswas Krishnanagar Dakshin 3 August 2022
  • Science, Technology and Biotechnology
AITC
32 Birbaha Hansda Jhargram 10 May 2021
  • Forests
  • Self Help Group and Self Employment
AITC
33 Indranil Sen Chandannagar 10 May 2021 AITC
Ministers Of State
34 Dilip Mondal Bishnupur 10 May 2021 AITC
35 Akhruzzaman Raghunathganj 10 May 2021 AITC
36 Seuli Saha Keshpur 10 May 2021
  • Panchayet and Rural Development
AITC
37 Tajmul Hossain Harishchandrapur 2 August 2022
  • Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Textiles
AITC
38 Sabina Yeasmin   Mothabari 10 May 2021 AITC
39 Jyotsna Mandi Ranibandh 10 May 2021
  • Food and Supplies
AITC
40 Satyajit Barman Hemtabad 10 August 2022 AITC
41 Manoj Tiwary   Shibpur 10 May 2021
  • Youth Affairs and Sports
AITC

References edit

Citations edit

  1. ^ "West Bengal (state)". Indian Government. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  2. ^ a b "The Parliament of West Bengal, India". cpahq.org. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  3. ^ "Departments". Government of West Bengal.
  4. ^ "Secretaries". Government of West Bengal.
  5. ^ "List of Current Ministers in Mamata's second cabinet". wb.gov.in.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "Mamata's list of ministers features 17 new faces, including Manoj Tiwari". The Indian Express. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.

Sources edit

External links edit