Nandini Chakraborty has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of West Bengal, replacing Manoj Pant. Jagdish Prasad Meena has taken charge as the state's Home Secretary. Manoj Pant, who was serving as the Chief Secretary, has been appointed as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
Manoj Pant's term ends
Manoj Pant had been serving as the Chief Secretary of West Bengal until now. His tenure ended on December 31. He was already continuing on a six-month extension, even though his original term was supposed to end on June 30. At that time, the Union government had approved the state's request to extend his service.
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Although his term as Chief Secretary has come to an end, Manoj Pant is not stepping away from the administration. He has now been appointed as the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). In this new role, he will continue to work with the same rank and status as a Chief Secretary.
Nandini Chakraborty as the new Chief Secretary
Nandini Chakraborty, a 1994-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of the state. She has held several key administrative positions in West Bengal over the years and has also been part of a few controversies. In the recent past, she served as the Principal Secretary to the Governor.
Her removal from the Raj (Lok) Bhavan post had earlier led to tensions between the Governor's office and the state government. While Raj (Lok) Bhavan had informed the state secretariat about releasing her, the state government initially directed her to continue working there. The issue was later discussed separately by the Chief Minister with the Governor, after which Nabanna decided to shift Nandini Chakraborty. She was first given charge of the Tourism Department.
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In December 2023, she was moved from the Tourism Department and appointed to the Home Department. Now, she has taken charge as the Chief Secretary of West Bengal.
Jagdish Prasad Meena has been appointed as the new Home Secretary, while Varun Roy has been given responsibility for the Tourism Department.
