Kolkata: The West Bengal authorities on Monday introduced the switch of over 500 bureaucrats amid the rollout of the Particular Intensive Revision(SIR) of electoral rolls within the state.
In one of many largest reshuffles on a single day, 67 IAS and 460 West BengalCivil Providers (Govt) officers had been transferred, in keeping with a slew of notifications issued by the Personnel and Administrative Reforms (P&AR) Division.
The switch notifications had been dated October 24, at the same time as they had been uploaded on the division’s web site in batches earlier than and after the announcement of SIR by the Election Fee.
Notifications for transfers of 61 IAS and 145 WBCS (Govt) officers had been uploaded throughout the first half of the day, whereas one other set of orders, notifying the postings of six IAS and 315 WBCS (Govt) officers, was made obtainable shortly after the EC’s briefing.
Among the many officers transferred had been 14 district magistrates (DM), a number of particular secretaries, a number of officers-on-special responsibility (OSDs) and a bunch of ADMs and SDOs from each IAS and WBCS companies.
Housing Infrastructure Growth Company (HIDCO) MD Shashank Sethi was made the brand new DM of North 24 Parganas, whereas Murshidabad DM Rajarshi Mitra changed him.
Kolkata Municipal Company’s commissioner Dhaval Jain was made the DM of Birbhum, whereas South 24 Parganas DM Sumit Gupta was posted in his place.
Haldia Growth Authority CEO Kontam Sudhir was made the DM of Purulia.
Science and Know-how Division Secretary Godala Kiran Kumar was named the divisional commissioner of Medinipur, whereas Panchayat and Rural Growth Division Particular Secretary Kuhuk Bhushan was posted as DM of Kalimpong.
New district magistrates had been additionally appointed in Cooch Behar, Murshidabad, Darjeeling, Malda, Jhargram, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly and Dakshin Dinajpur.
The officers are anticipated to play nodal roles within the SIR train, and it might develop into untenable for the state authorities to make additional reshuffles with out the authorisation of the EC as soon as the schedule has been introduced, an official stated.
The opposition BJP shot a grievance letter to the Chief Election Commissioner and demanded the “rapid annulment of the irregular transfers carried out with out ECI approval”.
“The West Bengal Authorities has carried out a mass scale switch of 235 officers at present 27 October 2025, after the announcement of SIR by the ECI on 24 June 2025 vide Order no 23/ERS/2025. In these transfers, 17 DMs, 22 ADMs, 45 SDOs and 151 BDOs are additionally included, most of whom are / might be concerned within the SIR, which has already been introduced,” the grievance letter claimed.
Whereas the BJP alleged that the transfers had been an try by the Mamata Banerjee authorities to thwart the upcoming SIR train, the ruling TMC referred to as it a mere “routine” train.
“CM Mamata Banerjee is sensing hassle for her celebration as soon as this train is efficiently accomplished and numerous faux voters are deleted from the electoral rolls. She is, therefore, attempting all the things in her hand to disturb the method by making such last-minute bulk transfers,” BJP chief Sajal Ghosh alleged.
Rubbishing the accusation, TMC IT cell head Debangshu Bhattacharya stated the BJP is “clutching at straws” to stage wild allegations.
“Such transfers happen within the authorities as a routine measure throughout the yr. There’s no cause why one ought to draw a connection between this and the SIR announcement. That is opposition for opposition’s sake,” he stated.
The EC will conduct part two of the SIR in 12 states and Union Territories, together with West Bengal — the place elections might be due early subsequent yr, between November and February.
The train will start on November 4 and proceed until December 4. The draft electoral rolls might be launched on December 9, and the ultimate rolls might be printed on February 7.
