The West Bengal Official Language Act, 1961

GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL 
LAW DEPARTMENT 
Legislative 
West Bengal Act XXIV of 1961, 
THE WEST BENGAL OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ACT, 
1961. 
[Passed by ;  ,the West Bengal Legislatuvre.] 
(Assent of the Governor was first published in the Calcutta 
Gazette, Extraordinary, of the 11th November, 1961.] 
[11th November, 1961.j 
An Act to provide for the adoption of the Bengali language 
as the language to be used for the• official purposes of 
the State of West Bengal including purposes of 
legislation. 	 • 
It is hereby enacted in the Twelfth Year of the Republic 
of India, by the Legislature of West Bengal, as follows :- 
1. (1) This Act may be called the West Bengali Official Short title Language Act, 1961. 	 and extent. 
(2) It extends to the whole of West Bengal. 
2. With effect from such date, not later than two years 
from the date of commencement of this Act ;  as the Stale 
Government may, by notifioation in the Official Gazette. 
appoint in this behalf,— 
(a) in the three hill subdivisions of the district of 
Darjeeling, .namely, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and 
Kurseong, the Bengali language and the Nepali 
language, and 
(b) elsewhere, the Bengali language, 
shall be the language or languages to be used for the official 
purposes of the State of West Bengal referred ° to in 
Price—Indian, 12 nr. ; English, 3d. 
Language 
or 
languages 
to be used: 
for official 
purposes 
of the 
State. 
Bengali 
language 
4o be used 
in Bills, 
etc. 
The West Bengal Official Language Act, 1961 
[West Bon. Mt XXIV of kit] 
(Section 3.) 
article 345 of the Constitution. of India, and different dates 
may be appointed for different official purposes or for different areas in West Bengal.: 
Provided that the issue of any such notification shall be without prejudice to— 
(i) the use of any language other than the Bengali 
language which is authorised by or under any law 
for the time being in force to be used for any pur-
pose in any of the civil or criminal courts within 
the State of West Bengal, and 
(ii) the use of the English language in the examinations 
conducted by the Public Service Commission, West Bengal. 
3. With effect from such date as the State Government 
may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint in this be-
half, the Bengali language shall be the language to be used— 
(a) in Bills introduced in, and Acts passed by, the Legislature of West Bengal, Ordinances 
promulgated by the Governor of West Bengal 
under article 213 of the Constitution of India 
and rules, regulations and by-laws made by the 
State Government under the Constitution of India 
or under any law made by Parliament or the 
Legislature of West Bengali; and 
(b) in notifications or orders issued by the State Govern-
ment under the Constitution of India or under 
any law made by Parliament or the Legislature of West 'Bengal : 
Provided that different dates may be appointed in respect of different matters referred to in clauses (a) and (b). 
WBOP.01/24791A-OM 

‹ Prev All West Bengal acts Next ›