KOLKATA: In the event of the ruling Trinamool Congress losing power in West Bengal, a new BJP government is likely to streamline the system of transfers and postings within the bureaucracy to ensure that senior and experienced IAS officers are entrusted with key administrative portfolios for better governance, a promise repeatedly made by the saffron party’s central leadership during election rallies in the state.
During the 15-year tenure of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government, several junior IAS officers were reportedly assigned influential posts such as Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, PWD Secretary and Panchayat Secretary, while many senior and experienced bureaucrats in the rank of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) were sidelined to less significant departments for years.
Some retired bureaucrats alleged that under the Trinamool regime, officers of district magistrate rank were often handed departments traditionally reserved for senior officials. According to them, this style of functioning demoralised a section of experienced bureaucrats and adversely affected development work across departments.
Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, also claimed that several junior officers were given dual charges for prolonged periods, leading to resentment within the administrative system.
They pointed out that the Trinamool government appointed 1994-batch IAS officer Nandini Chakraborty as Chief Secretary, overlooking officers who were three to four years senior to her and had greater administrative experience.
Retired officials said the BJP’s agenda for Bengal would require strong and experienced administrative leadership. Apart from efficiently implementing welfare schemes to ensure benefits reach genuine recipients, the party would also have to focus on job creation through industrialisation and other developmental measures.
“This would require a person with appropriate leadership skills, wide experience and a reputation for efficiency and integrity,” a retired Chief Secretary said.
As an example, retired officials cited S Suresh Kumar, a 1988-batch IAS officer and one of the senior-most bureaucrats in the state. Kumar had served in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for more than six years as Joint Secretary and handled several sensitive assignments. After returning to West Bengal, he headed departments including disaster management, fire services, labour and employment, and is currently Chairman of the DVC.
However, retired bureaucrats alleged that the Trinamool government later shifted him to the state training institute. They claimed a similar approach was adopted in the case of Dr Subrata Gupta, who was kept in the food processing and horticulture department for nearly four years with limited responsibilities. Gupta was reportedly not relieved initially even after being empanelled for the Central government.
Following his retirement as Secretary in the Union Food Processing Ministry, the Election Commission of India (ECI) appointed Gupta as Special Roll Observer for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
Sources in the state secretariat, Nabanna, said the ECI had appointed 1993-batch IAS officer Dushyant Nariala as Chief Secretary after removing Nandini Chakraborty ahead of the Assembly elections.
The two-phase elections for all 294 Assembly seats in the state were held on April 23 and April 29.
Officials said the previous government’s policy regarding the utilisation of bureaucrats appeared inconsistent. While several IAS officers were entrusted with multiple important portfolios across departments and government undertakings, many senior officers were either underutilised or shifted to departments with limited administrative relevance.
Although West Bengal has around 300 IAS officers, several of them are reportedly functioning as Officers on Special Duty (OSDs) or remain on “compulsory waiting”, effectively without substantial responsibilities.
The alleged practice of favouring a select group of officers with multiple postings created unrest among sections of the bureaucracy ahead of the Assembly elections.
Some retired and serving bureaucrats associated with the state IAS Association have also questioned the rationale behind the transfer and posting policies followed during Mamata Banerjee’s tenure.