Bengal Government Enhances Financial Powers of Departments to Speed Up Project Execution

PTI, June 5, 2026, Kolkata :  The West Bengal government on Friday substantially enhanced the powers of administrative departments to approve projects and accord financial sanction to accelerate implementation of development schemes and reduce procedural delays.

According to a memorandum by the Finance Department on Friday, departments handling key infrastructure and public service sectors will now be able to clear projects involving significantly higher expenditure without seeking approvals beyond the departmental level.

Now, Public Works, Irrigation and Waterways, Public Health Engineering, Water Resources Investigation and Development, Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, and Panchayats and Rural Development departments can now accord administrative approval and financial sanction for projects up to Rs 3 crore.

The approval ceiling for departments such as North Bengal Development, Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs and Sundarban Affairs has been increased to Rs 1 crore, while all other departments will be empowered to clear proposals up to Rs 75 lakh, it stated.

A senior officer said the decision was intended to improve administrative efficiency and ensure faster execution of government programmes.

“Departments were often required to seek higher-level clearances even for relatively modest projects, leading to avoidable delays. The revised limits will enable quicker decision-making and help projects move from the planning stage to execution much faster,” the official told PTI.

The bureaucrat said the government had been reviewing administrative procedures with the objective of expediting public works and service delivery.

“Many development projects are time-sensitive. Greater financial autonomy at the departmental level will allow officials to respond more effectively to local requirements while maintaining financial discipline,” the official said.

The memorandum stated that departments would continue to require the concurrence of their financial advisers and must ensure that approvals remain within budgetary provisions.