Kolkata: A day after the Election Commission removed 11 District Magistrates (DMs) in West Bengal, the state government, on Thursday, reassigned nine of them to new posts, directing them to assume charge immediately.
Arvind Kumar Meena, former DM of South 24-Parganas, has been appointed Secretary of the Minority Affairs Department, while Ayesha Rani, removed as DM of Purba Bardhaman, is now Secretary of the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department. Surendra Kumar Meena, former DM of Murshidabad, has been posted as Special Secretary in the Agriculture Department, and Nadia’s former DM Nikhil Nirmal has been appointed Special Secretary in the School Education Department.
Priti Goyal, former DM of Malda, has been made Special Secretary in the Health Department, while Syed N., who served as DM of North 24-Parganas, has been appointed Special Secretary in the Panchayat and Rural Development Department. Abhijit Tukaram, removed as DM of Alipurduar, is now Special Secretary in the Animal Resources Development Department.
Former Cooch Behar DM Raju Mishra has been appointed Special Secretary in the Transport Department, and Jalpaiguri’s Ravi Prakash Meena has been made Special Secretary in the Mass Education Extension Department.
Two former District Election Officers (DEOs) in Kolkata have also been given new assignments. Sumit Gupta, former DEO of South Kolkata, has been appointed Secretary of the Disaster Management Department, while Anshul Gupta, recently removed as Commissioner of Kolkata Municipal Corporation with additional charge of DEO North Kolkata, has been posted as Special Secretary in the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department.
Meanwhile, in a late-night order on Wednesday, the Commission revoked its order of transfer of T Balasubramaniam to Alipurduar, stating that he will continue as DM-cum-DEO of South Dinajpur.
Officials noted that Kolkata does not have a District Magistrate, and the DEO role is typically handled by a senior IAS officer from a government department.