This article is about the state government in West Bengal. For the political history of West Bengal, see Politics of West Bengal.

Government of West Bengal
Emblem of West Bengal
Polity type Parliamentary republic
State government
Constitution Constitution of India
Legislative branch
Name West Bengal Legislative Assembly
Type Unicameral
Meeting place West Bengal Legislative Assembly Building, Kolkata
Executive branch
Head of state
Title Governor
Currently R. N. Ravi
Appointer President of India (on advice of Central Government)
Head of government
Title Chief Minister of West Bengal
Currently Suvendu Adhikari
Appointer Governor
Cabinet
Leader Chief Minister
Headquarters Writers' Building, Kolkata
Ministries 53 ministries
Judicial branch
Name Calcutta High Court
Courts Judiciary of India
Calcutta High Court
Chief judge Sujoy Paul
Seat Calcutta High Court, Kolkata

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 Suvendu Adhikari, who assumed the office on 9 May 2026. He is the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, which won 207 seats (out of 294) in the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.

Head Leaders

Constitutional Posts
House Leader Portrait Since
Governor of West Bengal R. N. Ravi 12 March 2026
Chief Minister of West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari 09 May 2026
Speaker of the House West Bengal Legislative Assembly
Deputy Speaker of the House West Bengal Legislative Assembly
Leader of the House West Bengal Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari 09 May 2026
Deputy Leader of the House West Bengal Legislative Assembly
Leader of the Opposition West Bengal Legislative Assembly Sovandeb Chattopadhyay 09 May 2026[3]
Deputy Leader of the Opposition West Bengal Legislative Assembly Nayna Bandyopadhyay

and Ashima Patra

 09 May 2026[4]
Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Sujoy Paul 16 January 2026
Chief Secretary of West Bengal Manoj Aggarwal 11 May 2026[5]

History

On 18 January 1862, under the Indian Councils Act 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 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 1909, the number was raised to 50 members.[2]

Organization

  • The West Bengal government is divided into different Ministries & Departments.

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 GTA
17 Health and Family Welfare
18 Higher Education
19 Home and Hill Affairs
20 Housing
21 Ministry of Commerce & Industries (West Bengal)
22 Information & Cultural Affairs
23 Information Technology and Electronics
24 Irrigation and Waterways
25 Judicial
26 Labour
27 Ministry of Land & Land Reforms (West Bengal)
28 Law
29 Mass Education Extension and Library Services
30 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Textiles
31 Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education
32 Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy Sources
33 North Bengal Development
34 Panchayats and Rural Development
35 Parliamentary Affairs
36 Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs
37 Personnel and Administrative Reforms
38 Planning and Statistics
39 Power
40 Programme Monitoring
41 Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction
42 Public Health Engineering
43 Public Works
44 School Education
45 Science and Technology and Biotechnology
46 Self Help Group and Self Employment
47 Sundarban Affairs
48 Technical Education, Training & Skill Development
49 Tourism
50 Liquor
51 Tribal Development
52 Urban Development and Municipal Affairs
53 Water resources Investigation and Development
54 Women and Child Development and Social Welfare
55 Youth Services and Sports

[6]

Secretaries - Ministry & Department

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

[7]

Council of Ministers

This section is transcluded from Suvendu Adhikari ministry. (edit | history)
S.No Name[8] Portrait Constituency Department[7][9][10] Took office Left office Term Party
Name District
Chief Minister
1 Suvendu Adhikari Bhabanipur
or
Nandigram		 Kolkata
or
Purba Medinipur		 1. Home and Hill Affairs Health[7][9][10]

2. Law[7][9][10]

3. Finance[7][9][10]

 11 May 2026 Incumbent 9 May 2026 – Incumbent BJP
Cabinet Ministers
2 Dilip Ghosh Kharagpur Sadar Paschim Medinipur 1. Department of Panchayats & Rural Development[7][9][10]

2. Department of Animal Resources Development[7][9][10]

 11 May 2026 Incumbent 9 May 2026 – Incumbent BJP
3 Agnimitra Paul Asansol Dakshin Paschim Bardhaman 1. Department of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare[7][9][10]

2. Department of Urban Development & Municipal Affairs[7][9][10]
4 Ashok Kirtania Bangaon Uttar (SC) North 24 Parganas 1. Food and Supplies Department and Cooperation Department[7][9][10]
5 Kshudiram Tudu Ranibandh (ST) Bankura 1. Department of Tribal Development[7][9][10]

2. Department of Backward Classes Welfare[7][9][10]

3. Minority and Madrasa Education[7][9][10]
6 Nisith Pramanik Mathabhanga (SC) Cooch Behar 1. Department of Youth Services and Sports[7][9][10]

2. Department of North Bengal Development[7][9][10]

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. ^ "AITC PRESS RELEASE - 9 May 2026 Official Appoinment Date Leader of Opposition by AITC Official" (PDF). AITC Official.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ "AITC PRESS RELEASE - 9 May 2026 Official Appoinment Date Leader of Opposition by AITC Official" (PDF). AITC Official.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Appoinment Notice of New Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal IAS 1990 Batch to Government of West Bengal Dated 11 May 2026" (PDF). I.A.S Cell, Personnel & Administrative Reforms, Gov of West Bengal.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "Departments". Government of West Bengal.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Secretaries". Government of West Bengal. Cite error: The named reference ":0" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  8. ^ "West Bengal CM Oath Ceremony Live: Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, others sworn in as West Bengal ministers". India Today. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "WB Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari chairs cabinet meeting at state secretariat allocating departments to 5 Cabinet Ministers". DD News. Retrieved 12 May 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "West Bengal government live updates: Suvendu Adhikari cabinet meeting". The Indian Express. Retrieved 12 May 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

Sources

Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Government of West Bengal.