The Government of West Bengal (Paścimbaṅga Sarakāra, Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকার) is the Principal administrative authority and State Government of the Indian state of West Bengal, created by the Indian Constitution as the state's legislative, executive and judicial authority. The Governor acts as the ceremonial head of state and is the highest nominal authority of the state power. Chief Minister is the chief executive authority and head of the government, elected by people along with other ministers formally appointed by the Governor of West Bengal.
West Bengal is divided into 27 districts and 5 administrative divisions, making a total of 32 subnational entities. Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal. BBD Bagh in central Kolkata is the administrative Centre of the state, situating the executive headquarter of the state, the Writers' Building. Although due to scheduled repair & restoration work from May 2026 onwards, temporary functioning of the administration is conducted at the secretariat in Nabanna Building, Howrah.
West Bengal Government's formal seat is at Vidhan Sabha Bhavan, Kolkata, West Bengal which consists three primary branches are Legislative Power in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly (one housed), Executive Power in the Council of Ministers & Judicial Power in the Calcutta High Court with the official residence of Governor of West Bengal, the Lok Bhavan as head of state.
The present Legislative Assembly of West Bengal is unicameral, consisting of 294 Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). West Bengal Government formed by the Chief Minister & other ministers (Council of Ministers) belong to Member of the Legislative Assembly with the Chief Minister of West Bengal at its head. The current Chief Minister is Suvendu Adhikari, who assumed the office on 9 May 2026. He is one of the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, which party won 208 seats (out of 294) in the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.
Nomenclature The terms "GoWB", "WB Govt." etc. abbreviation, "The State Government of West Bengal", "Paschim Banga Sarkar", "Paścimbaṅga Sarakāra", "West Bengal Government (পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকার)" are often used officially and unofficially to refer to the same Government of West Bengal. The term Kolkata is commonly used as a metonym for the West Bengal Government, as the seat of the state government is in Kolkata.
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.
Structural Framework The Government of West Bengal (GoWB) mainly composed by three main organs are the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary where the powers are vested by the constitution in the Council of Ministers, Vidhan Sabha, and the Calcutta High Court, respectively. The Governor of West Bengal is the politically neutral head of state and acts as the Chancellor of the universities of West Bengal appointed by the President of India while politically elected Chief Minister of West Bengal acts as the head of the executive and is responsible for running the Government of West Bengal. Vidhan Sabha is the unicameral legislature with single house which is Lower House (Bidhan Sabha).
Head Leaders Constitutional Posts House Portrait Leader Assumed office Governor of West BengalR. N. Ravi12 March 2026 Chief Minister of West BengalSuvendu Adhikari 9 May 2026Speaker of the House West Bengal Legislative AssemblyRathindra Bose15 May 2026Deputy Speaker of the House West Bengal Legislative AssemblyVacant Leader of the House West Bengal Legislative AssemblySuvendu Adhikari 9 May 2026 Deputy Leader of the House West Bengal Legislative AssemblyShankar Ghosh 10 June 2026 Leader of the Opposition West Bengal Legislative Assembly Ritabrata Banerjee3 June 2026 Deputy Leader of the Opposition West Bengal Legislative Assembly3 June 2026 Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge 9 September 2026 Chief Secretary of West BengalManoj Kumar Agarwal 11 May 2026
Organization
Departments Overview The West Bengal Government is divided into 54 different Departments Operating and functioning under various sectors of State.
Each Department Consists of administrative personnel hierarchy which balance Political oversight with permanent bureaucratic management with Political Leadership (The Apex) and Apolitical Senior Bureaucratic Hierarchy (The Secretariat, Commissioner & Nodal Officers).
The Apex Political Executive of any West Bengal Government Department belong with a Cabinet Minister (Minister-In-Charge) followed by Minister of State (MoS) or can be Minister of State Independent Charge MoS (I/C) without any Cabinet Minister where as Apolitical Senior Bureaucratic Hierarchy belong Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) / Principal Secretary / Secretary / Special Commissioner from Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Cadre along with Joint Secretary / Deputy Secretary / Assistant Secretary / Under Secretary / Nodal Officer from Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) W.B.C.S. (Exe.) or West Bengal Secretariat Service (WBSS). List of DepartmentsSerialDepartmentHeadquarter 1AgricultureNabanna, 3rd Floor, 325 Sarat Chatterjee Road, Howrah, West Bengal2Animal Resources DevelopmentPrani Sampad Bhavan, LB-2 Block, Sector- III, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, West Bengal3Agricultural MarketingKhadya Bhaban, B Block, 4th Floor, 11A Mirza Ghalib Street, Kolkata, West Bengal4Backward Classes WelfareAdministrative Building, SDO Bidhannagar, 4th Floor, DJ-4, Sector- II, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal5Consumer AffairsKreta Suraksha Bhawan, 3rd Floor, 11A Mirza Ghalib Street, Kolkata, West Bengal6Co-operationNew Secretariat Building, C Block, 3rd Floor, 1 Kiran Sankar Roy Road, Kolkata, West Bengal7Correctional AdministrationJessop Building, 1st Floor, 63 Netaji Subhas Road, Kolkata, West Bengal8Disaster Management and Civil DefenceNabanna, 2nd Floor, 325 Sarat Chatterjee Road, Howrah, West Bengal9EnvironmentPrani Sampad Bhavan, LB-2 Block, 5th Floor, Sector- III, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, West Bengal10FinanceNabanna, 12th Floor, 325 Sarat Chatterjee Road, Howrah, West Bengal11Fire and Emergency ServicesNewtown Fire Station Building, 2nd & 3rd Floor, CF-7, Street Number 175, New Town, Kolkata, West Bengal12FisheriesBenfish Bhawan (IT Tower), 7th & 8th Floor, 31-GN Block, Sector-V, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal13Food and SuppliesKhadyashree Bhavan, 11A Mirza Ghalib Street, Kolkata, West Bengal14Food Processing Industries and HorticultureBenfish Bhawan (IT Tower), 4th & 6th Floor, 31-GN Block, Sector-V, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal15ForestsAranya Bhawan, Block LA-10A, Sector- III, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal16Health and Family WelfareSwasthya Bhawan, GN-29, Sector-V, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal17Higher EducationBikash Bhavan, 5th, 6th, 8th & 10th Floor, DF Block, Sector- I, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal18Home and Hill AffairsNabanna, 4th Floor, 325 Sarat Chatterjee Road, Howrah, West Bengal19HousingNew Secretariat Building, A Block, 1st Floor, 1 Kiran Sankar Roy Road, Kolkata, West Bengal20Industry, Commerce and EnterprisesShilpa Sadan, 6th Floor, 4 Abanindranath Tagore Sarani, Kolkata, West Bengal21Information & Cultural AffairsNabanna, 9th Floor, 325 Sarat Chatterjee Road, Howrah, West Bengal22Information Technology and ElectronicsMonibhandar Building, 6th Floor, Webel Complex, EP & GP Block, Sector-V, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal 23Irrigation and WaterwaysJalasampad Bhavan, 1st Floor, DF Block, Sector- I, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal24JudicialWriters' Building, 1st Floor, Main Block, Binoy Badal Dinesh Bag North Road, Lal Dighi, Kolkata, West Bengal25LabourNew Secretariat Building, A Block, 12th Floor, 1 Kiran Sankar Roy Road, Kolkata, West Bengal26Land and Land Reforms and Refugee Relief and RehabilitationNabanna, 6th Floor, 325 Sarat Chatterjee Road, Howrah, West Bengal27LawWriters' Building, 4th Floor, G Block, Binoy Badal Dinesh Bag North Road, Lal Dighi, Kolkata, West Bengal28Mass Education Extension and Library ServicesBikash Bhavan, 5th Floor, DF Block, Sector- I, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal29Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and TextilesShilpa Sadan, 8th Floor, 4 Abanindranath Tagore Sarani, Kolkata, West Bengal30Minority Affairs and Madrasah EducationNabanna, 3rd Floor, 325 Sarat Chatterjee Road, Howrah, West Bengal31Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy SourcesBikalpa Shakti Bhavan, 1st Floor, J-1/10, EP & GP Block, Sector-V, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal32North Bengal DevelopmentHQ 1. Uttar Kanya, Burdwan Road, Satellite Township, Kamrangaguri, Fulbari, Siliguri, West Bengal HQ 2. Mitra Building, 4th Floor, 8 Lyons Range, Kolkata, West Bengal33Panchayats and Rural DevelopmentJoint Administrative Building, 8th Floor, Wing B, Block - HC7, Sector- III, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal34Parliamentary AffairsPoura Bhawan, FD-415A, 5th Floor, Sector- III, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal35Paschimanchal Unnayan AffairsPoura Bhawan, FD-415A, 5th Floor, Sector- III, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal36Personnel and Administrative ReformsNabanna, 7th Floor, 325 Sarat Chatterjee Road, Howrah, West Bengal37Planning and StatisticsJoint Administrative Building, 4th Floor, Wing B, Block - HC7, Sector- III, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal38PowerBidyut Unnayan Bhavan, 3/C, LA Block, 5th & 6th Floor, Sector- III, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal39Programme MonitoringJoint Administrative Building, 4th Floor, Wing B, Block - HC7, Sector- III, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal40Public Enterprises and Industrial ReconstructionShilpa Sadan, 2nd Floor, 4 Abanindranath Tagore Sarani, Kolkata, West Bengal41Public Health EngineeringJanaswasthya Karigari Bhawan (NIJALAYA), 7th Floor, CN Block, Sector-V, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal42Public WorksNabanna, 8th Floor, 325 Sarat Chatterjee Road, Howrah, West Bengal43School EducationBikash Bhavan, 5th & 6th Floor, DF Block, Sector- I, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal44Science and Technology and BiotechnologyVigyan Chetana Bhavan, 26/B, DD Block, Sector- I, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal45Self Help Group and Self EmploymentKreta Suraksha Bhawan, 1st Floor, 11A Mirza Ghalib Street, Kolkata, West Bengal46Sundarban AffairsMayukh Bhawan, 3rd Floor, DF Block, Sector- I, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal47Technical Education, Training & Skill DevelopmentKarigari Bhawan, AA-III, 2nd Floor, New Town Road, Rajarhat, Kolkata, West Bengal48TourismNew Secretariat Building, C Block, 3rd Floor, 1 Kiran Sankar Roy Road, Kolkata, West Bengal49TransportParibahan Bhawan, 12 RN Mukherjee Road, Bow Barracks, Kolkata, West Bengal50Tribal DevelopmentAdivasi Bhawan, Action Area - IIIA, New Town, Rajarhat, Kolkata, West Bengal51Urban Development and Municipal AffairsNagarayan, DF-8, Sector-I, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal52Water resources Investigation and Development Khadya Bhaban, A Block, 5th Floor, 11A Mirza Ghalib Street, Kolkata, West Bengal53Women and Child Development and Social WelfareBikash Bhavan, 10th Floor, DF Block, Sector- I, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal54Youth Services and SportsNew Secretariat Building, A Block, 6th Floor, 1 Kiran Sankar Roy Road, Kolkata, West Bengal
Chief Secretary & Secretaries - Government of West Bengal Departments