West Bengal Revamps State Services: Promotion Rules Uplifted

In a decisive move to tackle promotion stagnation across state services, the West Bengal Cabinet, under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has introduced significant amendments to the promotion rules. The decision aims to enhance the number of experienced officers in senior roles by improving career progression within the state government cadres.

The newly approved changes focus on the West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) cadre, requiring officers to complete a two-year probation period, followed by three years as Block Development Officers (BDOs). After this period, officers can be directly promoted to the position of Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), facilitating a clearer path to senior-level posts.

In addition to these changes, the state cabinet has also decided to create 20 percent more positions in various services to reduce bottlenecks in promotions, extending these measures across other state services and departments. This initiative is expected to alleviate longstanding promotion issues and ensure a balanced distribution of experienced personnel across the governmental framework.