In an administrative move ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, Nabanna, the state secretariat, has approved the creation of a large number of high-ranking posts to strengthen the career prospects of officers of the West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) cadre. The decision is being seen as an effort to widen promotion avenues for state cadre officers and secure their presence at the top levels of the state administration.
According to the sources, the move is aimed at easing long-standing discontent among WBCS officers over limited promotion opportunities and stagnation at senior levels.
Political observers, however, view the decision as a clear signal from the Mamata Banerjee government ahead of the elections that it stands firmly with the state cadre bureaucracy.
The Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department, in a notification issued on Wednesday, January 21, announced the creation of 100 additional posts at the Joint Secretary level and 40 additional posts at the Special Secretary level within the WBCS cadre. These posts will carry pay scales as per the West Bengal Services (Revision of Pay and Allowances) Rules, 2019.
With the expansion, the number of Joint Secretary and equivalent posts (Pay Level 21) has increased from 250 to 350. Similarly, the number of Special Secretary and equivalent posts (Pay Level 24) has gone up from 100 to 140.
An official at Nabanna described the development as a transformation of the promotion pathway “from a narrow lane to a main road.”
The notification also provides a boost at the Additional Secretary level (Pay Level 22). Forty per cent of the expanded Joint Secretary posts — amounting to 140 positions — can be upgraded to the Additional Secretary rank through conversion. Administrative circles believe this will significantly ease the long-standing bottleneck in the senior promotion ladder.
For several years, sections of the state civil service have voiced dissatisfaction over slow promotions and the persistent gap in dearness allowance compared to central government employees. While the new posts do not address the DA disparity, the timing of the decision has drawn criticism from some quarters, who have described it as an attempt at appeasement ahead of the polls.
Others, however, point out that the move comes at a time when a section of IAS officers is perceived to be functioning under strict directions from the Election. Commission or the Centre, prompting the state to consolidate trust and morale among its own cadre officers.
Administrative sources maintain that the cadre restructuring is not merely a routine bureaucratic exercise but a calculated step to address years of dissatisfaction over career progression while simultaneously sending a strong political message of reassurance to the state civil service ahead of the elections.
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