Government files must be processed within seven days in West Bengal

Asansol. The state government has taken strict steps to speed up government work and eliminate the problem of files getting stuck in different departments. Letters or files coming from other departments must be disposed of within seven working days. Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal has issued this directive. According to this, delays in the exchange of files and providing necessary opinions or consent between different departments are causing problems in implementing government projects and programs. New guidelines have been issued to change this situation and increase coordination among departments. The directive states that if a letter or file comes from another department, it should generally be disposed of within seven working days. In addition, every department must create a special system to monitor long-pending files. Also, the secretary of each department must regularly check the progress of unresolved files. If the matter of consent on a file cannot be resolved through mutual discussion between specific departments, it cannot be left pending. The matter should be brought to the attention of the Chief Secretary for a quick resolution. Administrative circles believe this will increase coordination among various departments and reduce unnecessary delays in administrative work. According to an official, in many cases, it is seen that a department's file gets stuck due to lack of even minor permission from another department, which halts project work. In many cases, problems also arise in approving project funds. These new guidelines are aimed at avoiding this difficulty and accelerating government work. All letters and files must be disposed of in accordance with the West Bengal Secretariat Manual, 2019 and the established rules for conducting government business.