New Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal Vows Transparent Governance, Urges Officers to Follow Rules

PTI, May 12, 2026, Kolkata : New West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal on Tuesday said that the state’s bureaucracy would ensure a transparent administration and advised officers to go by the rulebook.

Agarwal, who was the Chief Electoral Officer of the state, was appointed the Chief Secretary on Monday.

On the decision to terminate re-employment and the extension of tenure of officers beyond the normal superannuation age of 60 years, Agarwal said all policy decisions are taken by the state Cabinet, and the bureaucracy executes them.

“The Chief Secretary is the chief advisor to the Cabinet, to the Honourable CM. The direction of the Cabinet is fully implemented,” he said.

Asked about his message to the employees of the state government, Agarwal said everybody should work transparently.

An officer should adhere to rules, policies and transparency, he said.

“We should be fortunate that we have a government job. Many people want a government job. We are all public servants. We are getting our salary from the public,” the 1990-batch IAS officer said.

On the challenges in the health and education sectors, he said, “We have to assess the situation first, and then I will be able to reply to this question. Health and education are the most important factors.”