The West Bengal government has issued a notification declaring Poila Boisakh, the first day of the Bengali New Year, as the State Day and a song Banglar Mati Banglar Jal written by Rabindranath Tagore as the State Song.
“After careful consideration, it is hereby declared that the ‘Poila Boisakh’ (1st day of the month of Boisakh of Bengali calendar year) will be observed as State Day and it will be named ‘Bangla Divas’,” the notification dated December 30 by outgoing chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi on Saturday said.
The notification added while referring to the song Banglar Mati Banglar Jal as the State Song that the approximate playing time is 1 minute and 59 seconds.
“The State Song shall compulsorily be played with due respect in all state government functions at the start of the function and the National Anthem shall be played compulsorily at the conclusion of it,” the notification added. The government notification added that all dignitaries “shall stand in attention when the State Song and National Anthem are played and mass singing of the State Song should be encouraged”.
In September last year, West Bengal Assembly passed a resolution declaring Poila Baisakh as statehood day and Rabindranath Tagore’s song Banglar Mati Banglar Jal as the state anthem. Later the State Cabinet approved the development.
Earlier, Governor C.V. Ananda Bose also observed June 20 as Paschim Banga Dibas, triggering a war of words with the State government. On June 20, 1947 the Bengal Legislative Assembly held a meeting to decide if the Bengal Presidency would stay with India or Pakistan, or be divided, having the Hindu majority districts staying with India as West Bengal and the Muslim majority areas forming East Pakistan.
New Chief Secretary appointed
In another important development, West Bengal government appointed Bhagwati Prasad Gopalika, a 1989-batch IAS officer and the current Home Secretary assumed the role of the new Chief Secretary. The incumbent Chief Secretary H.K. Dwivedi superannuated on December 31.
IAS officer Nandini Chakraborty was appointed as the Home Secretary of the West Bengal government. Ms Chakraborty is the second female officer to hold the state’s Home Secretary position after Lina Chakraborty.
