Kolkata, 11 May (H.S.) : Former IAS officer Subrata Gupta, who recently served as a Special Observer during the West Bengal Assembly elections, has now been appointed Adviser to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

The state government announced Gupta’s appointment shortly after Adhikari took oath as Chief Minister at Brigade Parade Ground on May 9. A 1990-batch IAS officer and an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Gupta is widely regarded as one of Bengal’s most accomplished bureaucrats.

An electronics engineering graduate from IIT Kharagpur, Gupta secured fourth rank nationally in the UPSC examination while simultaneously pursuing doctoral research related to missile technology. He later completed his PhD during his tenure as an Additional District Magistrate. He also worked on a research project led by former President and noted scientist A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

During his administrative career, Gupta served in several key departments, including finance, industry and urban development. As Joint Secretary in the Finance Department, he introduced computerised budget management, replacing the earlier handwritten system. He also played a major role in land acquisition for multiple industrial townships and the Andal Aerotropolis project while serving in the state’s industrial development administration.

Officials also credit him as one of the early architects of the East-West Metro project in Kolkata. Over a long bureaucratic career, Gupta held positions ranging from Secretary and Principal Secretary to Additional Chief Secretary.

Despite his administrative reputation, Gupta was reportedly not considered close to the previous Trinamool Congress government and spent several years in comparatively less influential departments after serving in Urban Development. Six months before retirement, he was appointed Secretary in the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

Gupta retired from service in 2025. Last October, the Election Commission appointed him as Special Roll Observer during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal. He later became one of the key officials overseeing the Assembly elections, a role that drew criticism from the then ruling Trinamool Congress.

However, the Election Commission retained confidence in him and later assigned him the responsibility of Special Observer for the state elections. Following the declaration of results on May 4, Gupta attributed the relatively peaceful polling process to strict administrative messaging against troublemakers.

“Criminals were clearly told either remain at home or go to jail. That worked like magic. People could vote freely without fear,” Gupta had said in an interaction with the media.

After his appointment as Adviser to the Chief Minister, Gupta described the responsibility as “a huge challenge” and sought cooperation and blessings from the people of Bengal.

Responding to criticism over appointing a retired bureaucrat, Chief Minister Adhikari defended the decision, claiming that several highly capable IAS officers were “not properly utilised” under the previous administration.

“We are policymakers and will take decisions in the Cabinet. Bureaucrats like Subrata Gupta understand how to implement those decisions effectively,” Adhikari said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, speculation is growing in administrative circles that Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal may be considered for the post of Chief Secretary, potentially creating a new administrative team alongside Gupta in the BJP-led Bengal government.

The state government has also announced the appointment of 2017-batch IAS officer Shantanu Bala as the Chief Minister’s Personal Secretary. Before joining the civil services, Bala was an engineer and has served in multiple districts as Sub-Divisional Officer and Additional District Magistrate.

At the same time, the state administration has initiated a major bureaucratic reshuffle. Officials serving in the Chief Minister’s Office and as secretaries to ministers in the previous Trinamool government have reportedly been transferred, while the new administration is restructuring the Chief Minister’s Office ahead of a series of meetings with district magistrates and police superintendents later this month.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh