Darta Chalani Numbers, Dates and Fiscal Year in Nepal

Anyone who has searched for a letter in a Nepali office knows the pain of inconsistent numbering and dates. One clerk writes the date in English, another in Bikram Sambat. A number repeats after a book is changed. A reply cites a reference that does not exist. This article explains common practice for numbering, dates and fiscal years in darta chalani registers and how to keep references consistent. Your office, parent body or law may require a particular format, and where it does, follow it.

Why numbering matters

A letter number is its address. It is what lets a reply cite the original and what lets an inspector go straight to a document. When numbers are unique and sequential, a gap or repeat stands out. When they are not, the register cannot be trusted. Consistency matters more than any particular format.

The fiscal year

The Nepali government fiscal year begins in Shrawan, which falls in July or August of the English calendar, and ends in Ashadh. Many offices run their darta and chalani series on the same year, so the first letter received after the start of Shrawan becomes number 1. A reference is then often written with the fiscal year, for example in the form "number / fiscal year". Using the fiscal year in the reference avoids confusion between the 25th letter of one year and the 25th of the next. Some private organisations and schools prefer an academic or calendar year. Choose one, write it in your office procedure and apply it to both registers.

Bikram Sambat dates

Nepali offices write dates in Bikram Sambat. For consistency:

• Write the year, month and day in a fixed order, such as year/month/day.
• Use the number of the month or its name, but not a mix of both.
• Use the same digits throughout, Devanagari or Western, for each document type.
• Where an external body needs an English date, add it in brackets.

Month lengths in the Bikram Sambat calendar vary from year to year, so converting dates by hand leads to errors. A system that converts reliably, using a trusted calendar table, saves a lot of correction later. Check that your tool handles leap-like variations in the month length and covers the years you need.

Reference numbers on the letter itself

An outgoing letter normally carries two things at the top: the chalani number and the date. Many offices also show the reference to the letter being answered, using words such as "your letter number" and the date. An incoming letter has the sender\'s reference, which you enter in the register, and your own darta number, which you stamp on receipt. Keep both, because correspondence between two offices uses both.

Handling the awkward cases

Situation	Suggested handling
Letter arrives with no date or number	Register it with your date and note that the sender gave none
Same letter received twice	Register the first; record the second as a duplicate with a link
Letter received after office hours	Register on the next working day but note the actual date received
Spoiled outgoing letter	Cancel the number, write the reason and keep the spoiled copy
Letter with many enclosures	Record the count and list of enclosures
Email or message received	Register it as a darta with the mode noted
Letter to many recipients	One chalani number with a list of recipients

Branch and section numbering

Larger offices sometimes keep separate registers for each section, or a common register with a section code. Both work if one rule is fixed. A common method is a single office-wide chalani series with the section shown in a separate column. Separate series per section make cross-section searches harder. Whichever you choose, record it in a short office procedure so new staff follow it.

What happens at year-end

1. Close the register on the last working day of the fiscal year with a closing note stating the last number.
2. List pending letters and carry them to the new year with their old numbers.
3. Start new series from number 1 on the first working day of the new year.
4. File a printed copy of the closed register or a signed index.

A system should let you close a year without losing any search ability. In our darta chalani software, years remain searchable and carried-over pending letters appear in the new year\'s list with their original numbers.

Consistency across email and WhatsApp

Many offices now receive formal requests by email or even by messaging apps. Decide a rule: if a message is an official communication, it is registered like paper. Print or save it as a PDF, give it a darta number and attach it to the entry. Likewise, if you send an official reply by email, record it in the chalani register with the mode of delivery. This avoids a shadow correspondence that exists in inboxes and not in the register.

Government forms and your own office

Government offices may be bound to specific forms, stamps and registers by regulation or circular. We do not describe those obligations, and you should follow the rules your office has been given. If you are a private body writing to government, use the reference format they request in their letters. If you are unsure how a particular office wants references written, ask their records section, which is usually glad to help.

Next step

Write a one-page numbering rule for your office covering the series, fiscal year, date format, cancellations and email. Share it with every person who touches a letter. When you are ready to put it into a system, message WebsNP on WhatsApp at +977 9846280400 and we will configure the numbering exactly as written. For wider records, see ward office software.

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