After close to 13 years, the nearly 250-year-old Writers’ Building in Kolkata will be buzzing with activity again, with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and five other ministers expected to move their offices there soon.
According to sources, Adhikari, PWD Minister Ajay Poddar, Panchayat Minister Dilip Ghosh, Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh, Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee, and Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul will have their new offices on the second floor of the building.
On Saturday, Poddar met officials regarding the restoration work at the building. He visited the building earlier this week. Sources said the Adani group may undertake Rs 120-crore restoration work at the building under a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative. Discussions between the government and the group are underway, they added.
In October 2013, the government shifted the state secretariat from Writers’ Building to Nabanna, but certain departments have continued to function from the building. These include parts of the home and hill affairs, agriculture, PWD, law and judicial and parliamentary affairs.
The Writers’ Building will also host the offices of the chief secretary and the police chief, according to the sources.
PWD officials said that several original architectural features, including European tiles, were damaged during previous renovations.
The Writers’ Building was built in 1777 as an office for the East India Company’s junior clerks. From 1937 to 1947, it housed the provincial government of the state. From 1947 to 2013, it was the West Bengal secretariat. The building once hosted 34 departments and around 6,000 employees.
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Since the BJP came to power, the government has shown interest in returning the secretariat to the Writers’ Building. “It was our old commitment that we would run the government from the Writers’ Buildings,” state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya told the media on May 5, a day after the election results came.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
