Major reshuffle in Bengal: Election Commission removes DGP, Kolkata CP and other top bureaucrats a day after announcing the election schedule. india news
Election Commission
New Delhi: After the Election Commission (EC) ordered major transfers of top bureaucrats in West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress on Monday staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha in protest. This happened when voting was going on for 37 Rajya Sabha seats from 10 states.The Election Commission, in a letter dated March 15, announced the transfer of the West Bengal Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of Home and Hill Affairs. The poll panel said the changes were made after reviewing the state’s preparedness for the upcoming assembly elections.
TMC MPs are also included Sagarika GhoshCriticizing the Election Commission, he said, “The way the Election Commission transferred the Home Secretary and Chief Secretary of Bengal at 4 in the morning in the dark of the night is unacceptable. The Election Commission has these powers, but it is misusing them to harm the elected government in Bengal. That’s why our party walked out of Parliament for the whole day.”Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the Election Commission, saying it had the “constitutional authority” to make such transfers and criticized TMC for raising the issue in Parliament.
who were transferred
Election Commission removed two top officials from Mamata Banerjee’s administration:
- Chief Secretary: Nandini Chakraborty was removed and replaced by Dushyant Nariyala (IAS-1993 batch).
- Principal Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs: Sanghamitra Ghosh (IAS-1997 batch) has been appointed in place of Jagdish Prasad Meena.
Other major postings include:
- Director General and Inspector General of Police, West Bengal: Siddha Nath Gupta (IPS-1992)
- Director General, Correctional Services: Nataraj Ramesh Babu (IPS-1991)
- ADG and IGP, Law and Order: Ajay Mukand Ranade (IPS-1995)
- Kolkata Police Commissioner: Ajay Kumar Nand (IPS-1996)
The EC letter, signed by Secretary Sujit Kumar Mishra, said that these instructions are effective immediately. The transferred officers will not be deployed in any election related work until the elections are over. The compliance report is expected by 3 pm on March 16.The reshuffle comes after the Election Commission announced the election schedule for four states – West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam – and one Union Territory, Puducherry. West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting taking place on May 4.The move is seen as an attempt to ensure administrative neutrality during the elections, especially after TMC repeatedly criticized the Election Commission over the ongoing special summary amendment exercise in the state.