CM keeps promise, appoints Manoj Verma as new CP; DC, two health officials moved
Swapan Soren has been made the new Director of Health Services
Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had assured the junior doctors of removing Vineet Goyal from the Kolkata Police Commissioner’s post, appointed Manoj Verma as the new commissioner while the incumbent Goyal was handed over the charge of ADG, STF (Special Task Force) of Kolkata Police. Verma was serving as ADG (Law and Order) in Bengal Police.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), Kolkata Avishek Gupta was also transferred as CO, EFR (Eastern Frontier Rifle), 2nd Battalion with Dipak Sarkar replacing him. Jawed Shamim, who was serving as ADG in the state police’s Intelligence Branch, was given the charge of ADG (Law and Order).
Banerjee had announced the removal of both Goyal and Gupta agreeing to the demand of the junior doctors during the marathon meeting at her Kalighat residence on Monday night.
Tripurari Atharv, who was ADG in STF, has been transferred as Director in the Economic Offence Directorate while the incumbent Gyanwant Singh has been assigned the charge of ADG, Intelligence Branch in the state police.
According to officials, none of the transfers were considered a promotion or demotion.
Goyal, an alumnus of both IIT Kharagpur and IIT Kanpur, took charge as the city’s top cop in December 2021, replacing Soumen Mitra.
Earlier, he has been in several significant positions in Kolkata Police, including the DCP for the Eastern Suburban Division (ESD), Special Branch (SB), as well as the Headquarters.
Meanwhile, the state government also brought major changes in the Health department as demanded by the junior doctors in the meeting.
Director of Health Services (DHS) Debasish Halder was transferred as OSD, Public Health in Swasthya Bhavan, while Director of Medical Education (DME) Kaustav Nayek was removed and given the charge of Director Institute of Health and Family Welfare. Swapan Soren has been made the DHS while Suparna Dutta has been posted as OSD in Medical Education, Swasthya Bhavan.
The newly appointed Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma, an IPS officer of the 1998 batch, has held important posts like DC, DD (Special), DC (Traffic) and Additional Commissioner in Kolkata Police.
Born in Rajasthan in 1968, Verma was the Superintendent of Police in West Midnapore during the Left Front rule when Maoist activities were a regular affair in Junglemahal.
While in charge of the Counter Insurgency Force, his role in curbing Maoist activities was much appreciated.
In 2017, he received a police medal from the state government.
In 2019, he won the Chief Minister’s Police medal for his role in handling the situation at Bhatpara.
