Kolkata: Bengal chief secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal has directed all departments to dispose of inter-departmental references and communications within seven working days to speed up decision-making and prevent administrative bottlenecks that can delay the delivery of govt schemes.Agarwal also asked departmental secretaries to regularly monitor pending matters and refer unresolved issues to him for intervention and resolution.An order by the chief secretary’s office noted that delays in furnishing comments, views or concurrence on references between departments often impede timely decision-making and implementation of govt schemes and programmes.The order emphasised that all inter-departmental references and communications must be dealt with promptly in accordance with West Bengal Secretariat Manual, 2019, the West Bengal Rules of Business and other applicable rules.It also directed every department to put in place a mechanism to monitor pending references and ensure a timely follow-up. Departmental secretaries will be responsible for regularly reviewing such pendency and ensuring strict compliance.
