West Bengal Secretariat Return to Writers’ Buildings Sparks Hope for Local Traders

The new West Bengal government has decided to shift the State Secretariat and Chief Minister’s Office back to the historic Writers’ Buildings in Kolkata, reversing a move made thirteen years ago to Nabanna in Howrah. This administrative relocation has ignited hope among small traders, tea stall owners, fruit vendors, and stationery shopkeepers in the surrounding B.B.D. Bagh area. Since the secretariat's departure in 2013 under the Mamata Banerjee-led government, these businesses have suffered severe financial losses, with many shutting down due to a drastic drop in footfall from government employees and visitors. Local entrepreneurs recall bustling daily activity that previously sustained their livelihoods, noting that the absence of office-goers led to significant downsizing and closures. Economists highlight how the earlier move disrupted the local informal commerce ecosystem. Now, traders anticipate a gradual economic revival as thousands of staff and visitors return to the nearly 250-year-old colonial-era building. The decision is viewed not just as a heritage restoration but as a crucial survival mechanism for hundreds of families dependent on the daily administrative hustle.