File photo.
In a landmark administrative decision, the West Bengal government has announced that Bengali will become mandatory for all official government work across the state from September 1. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced in the State Assembly on Monday, saying Bengali would now be given top priority in all internal administrative functions, including official correspondence, government notifications, and office orders.
The Chief Minister also read out a letter from Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Assembly, outlining the policy framework for implementing the move.
Where will Bengali become mandatory?
According to the government’s directive, Bengali will be compulsory in the following areas:
- File processing and noting: All official file movement, file notings, and administrative remarks must be prepared in Bengali.
- Official correspondence and government orders: Routine official letters, circulars, notifications, and office orders will be issued in Bengali.
- Citizen services: Application forms and public service documents must be made available in Bengali.
- Government advertisements and training material: Official advertisements published in newspapers and training materials for government employees will be prepared in Bengali.
- Police administration: In one of the most significant changes, First Information Reports (FIRs) will now have to be registered entirely in Bengali.
Communication with the Centre
The Chief Minister clarified that while Bengali will be the primary language for all internal state government work, communication with the Central government will follow a bilingual policy. Correspondence with the Centre will be carried out in Bengali and the official language (Hindi) whenever required.
Reading from Amit Shah’s letter, Adhikari said the initiative also honours the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who believed that democratic governance becomes more effective and people-centric when conducted in the language of the people.
The state government said the move is aimed at strengthening Bengali as the language of governance while making public administration more accessible and citizen-friendly. Officials believe the decision will help bridge the communication gap between government offices and the people by allowing citizens to interact with the administration in their mother tongue.
