Kolkata, 3 June (H.S.) -In a significant administrative reshuffle, the West Bengal government has relieved Rajeev Kumar, the acting Director General (DGP) of the state police, from his additional charge as Additional Secretary in the Department of Information Technology and Electronics. Kumar will now serve solely in his capacity as the state’s police chief. The decision was formalized with the approval of the Governor, and an official notification was issued late Tuesday night.

Senior IAS officer Anup Kumar Agarwal has been appointed in his place. The role of Additional Secretary in the IT Department is traditionally considered a cadre post for IAS officers, and the latest appointment reflects a return to this norm. The move is seen as part of the government’s effort to realign key administrative positions according to service cadre specializations.

Kumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer of the West Bengal cadre, was appointed as the state DGP in December 2023. However, the Election Commission had removed him from the post ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. He was reinstated to the position after the conclusion of the polling process.

Notably, Kumar had been given charge of the IT Department back in 2019, while serving as the Additional Director General (ADG) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). His appointment to the IT Department at the time was considered an exception, as such positions are typically reserved for administrative service officers.

The government’s latest decision to hand over the IT role to a senior IAS officer signals an intention to streamline administrative roles based on cadre principles. Rajeev Kumar will now focus exclusively on leading the state police force.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh