State overhauls administrative & IPS posts in a major reshuffle

Kolkata: On Thursday, the Bengal government implemented significant changes at both the administrative and IPS levels across the state.

In a reshuffle in the IPS cadre, the posting of nine officers, including that of the Commissioner of Police (CP), Bidhannagar, Gaurav Sharma was changed.

According to the order published on Thursday, Sharma was made the Inspector General (IG) of the state police Special Task Force (STF). Mukesh, IG of the Intelligence Branch (IB) II was made the CP, Bidhannagar. This apart, three IPS officers removed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) were reinstated to their earlier postings.

Koteswar Rao, Superintendent of Police (SP), Traffic of the state police, was posted as the SP of Sunderban Police District (PD) where he was posted earlier. Also, Avijit Banerjee, removed from the post of SP Purulia by the ECI was reinstated.

Dhritiman Sarkar, who was the Special Superintendent (SS) of IB was made the SP of West Midnapore.

Ashish Maurya, who was the SP of Purulia, and Sonawane Kuldip Suresh who was the SP of West Midnapore, were made SS IB. Sandeep Karra, who was the SP of Sunderban PD was made the Deputy Commissioner (DC), West Zone in Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate. Indra Badan Jha, who was the Additional SP (headquarters) of Baruipur PD was transferred to the post of Additional DC, Central of Barrackpore Police Commissionerate.

Apart from the IPS officers, the posting of three WBPS officers was changed. Rupantar Sengupta, who was the Additional SP (Zonal) in the Diamond Harbour PD was made the Additional SP (Zonal) of Baruipur PD.

Mitun Kumar Dey who was the Additional SP in the Directorate of Security will replace Sengupta. Soutam Banerjee who was the Additional SP (Zonal) in the Baruipur PD was made the Additional SP (headquarters) in the same police unit. Meanwhile, the state government, on Thursday brought some major changes at the administrative level also. The state reinstated Bidhan Chandra Ray as the district magistrate (DM) of Birbhum district. Ray, a WBCS officer of the 1993 batch was removed by the Election Commission during the Lok Sabha elections. Ray was serving as special secretary of the state Power department.

Shashank Sethi, an IAS officer of the 2010 batch who was appointed by the poll panel as DM Birbhum was transferred as the managing director of West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd.