‘If you work properly, you don’t need to bend your spine’: CS Manoj Agarwal to IAS officers

West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal on Tuesday delivered a strong message to senior bureaucrats during his first meeting with departmental secretaries at Nabanna, stating that officials should work “with a strong spine” and strictly follow rules and regulations in governance. After taking charge from the post of Chief Electoral Officer, the 1990-batch IAS officer told officials that they did not need to “bend their spine” if they performed their duties properly. He also instructed departments to immediately restart Central Government schemes that had allegedly remained stalled in the state for years and directed officials to quickly prepare implementation plans for promises made in the BJP’s election manifesto.

During the meeting, Agarwal emphasised administrative professionalism and instructed officers to continue carrying out their responsibilities according to established procedures. The new Chief Secretary’s remarks came amid broader administrative restructuring following the change of government in West Bengal. Officials were also directed to accelerate planning and coordination related to governance priorities and development programmes.

A day earlier, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had issued strict instructions to district administrations during a meeting at Nabanna. District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police were directed to ensure that cattle smuggling does not take place anywhere, including along border areas and state highways. The Chief Minister also instructed officials to adopt a “zero tolerance” policy against coal and sand smuggling and warned that syndicate operations and extortion in the real estate sector would not be tolerated.

The administration has additionally been directed to prevent illegal occupation of government land and take immediate action against unauthorised construction activities. District Magistrates were also instructed to hold meetings with MLAs and panchayat representatives after the oath-taking process to restart stalled development projects. Manoj Agarwal formally took charge as Chief Secretary on Monday, shortly after retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta was appointed adviser to the Chief Minister.