Kolkata, 10 June (H.S.): The West Bengal government on Wednesday carried out a major administrative reshuffle, transferring 18 senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and assigning them new responsibilities with immediate effect. According to a notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, the changes have been approved by the Governor and are aimed at improving administrative efficiency and strengthening governance.

Under the reshuffle, 1993-batch IAS officer Anoop Kumar Agrawal has been appointed Additional Chief Secretary of the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department as well as the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Textiles Department.

Principal Resident Commissioner in New Delhi, Dushyant Nariala, has been given additional charge as Director General of the Netaji Subhas Administrative Training Institute and Chairman of the State Technical and Service Selection Commission.

Nandini Chakravorty, who has been serving as the Chief Coordinator for Development in the Chief Minister’s Office, has been appointed Additional Chief Secretary of the Science and Technology and Biotechnology Department. She has also been entrusted with additional charge of the Housing Department.

Dr. Ravi Inder Singh has been appointed Principal Secretary of the Transport Department.

Several key departments, including Sports, Land, Technical Education and Irrigation, have also witnessed significant changes. Rajesh Pandey has been appointed Additional Chief Secretary of the Youth Services and Sports Department. Surendra Gupta will serve as Principal Secretary of the Land and Land Reforms Department as well as the Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation Department.

Rajeev Kumar has been assigned charge of the Technical Education, Training and Skill Development Department, while Rajesh Kumar Sinha has been appointed Principal Secretary of the Irrigation and Waterways Department.

Parvez Ahmed Siddiqui, who was serving as Principal Secretary of the Food and Supplies Department, has been transferred and appointed Principal Secretary of the State Gazetteers.

At the secretary level, Dr. Soumitra Mohan will continue as Secretary to the Governor while also holding additional charge as Secretary of the Information and Cultural Affairs Department.

Jagdish Prasad Meena, Secretary of the Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department, has been appointed Secretary of the Food and Supplies Department. Moumita Godara Basu has been given charge of the Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department.

Among other appointments, Mukta Arya has been named Secretary of the Sundarban Affairs Department, while Rachna Bhagat has been appointed Secretary of the Labour Department. R. Vimala has been entrusted with the responsibility of the North Bengal Development Department.

Randhir Kumar has been appointed Secretary of the Public Health Engineering Department and will continue to hold additional charge as Secretary in the Finance Department.

2015-batch IAS officer Raju Mishra has been appointed the new Excise Commissioner.

Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer Neelam Meena has been given additional charge as Principal Secretary of the Environment Department while continuing in her current role.

The state government said the reshuffle is intended to enhance administrative effectiveness and ensure better delivery of public services across departments.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh