Retired IAS officer Saurabh Das passes away

Kolkata: Retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the West Bengal cadre, Saurabh Kumar Das, who had served as the State Election Commissioner from May 2019 till May 2023 (for a period of 4 years) passed away on Sunday. He was 66.

A resident of New Town, Das had high blood pressure, diabetes and heart-related ailments. He suffered sudden cardiac arrest in the morning and was rushed to a nearby private hospital where he died. He had two sons, one of whom stays abroad. His last rites will be performed on Tuesday, after the return of his son from abroad. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed profound grief at the demise of Das.

“Stunned, shocked, and saddened by the sudden demise of my long-time colleague Saurabh Kumar Das. A senior member of the Indian Administrative Service of West Bengal cadre, he headed our Panchayat and PHE (Public Health Engineering) departments, rose to become the State Election Commissioner, and was the Chairman of the West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation too. Ever smiling and ever helpful, he will be remembered as an excellent officer and a perfect gentleman. My sincere condolences to his family, friends and fraternity, “ Banerjee wrote on her X handle. An IAS officer of the 1986 batch, Das retired on 31 March 2018 following which he got an extension. In May 2019, he was appointed as the State Election Commissioner (SEC). The municipal elections in 113 municipalities in the state, including that of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, were held during his tenure. The polls of Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad were also held during his stint. Das was succeeded by Rajiva Sinha as the SEC in June 2023. Das was soon appointed the Chairman of WBIIDC and was removed from his post in March this year.