Kolkata, May 5: West Bengal witnessed its first major bureaucratic change following the Assembly election results, with Soumitra Mohan appointed as Secretary to the Governor, signalling an administrative shift alongside the political transition in the state.
Soumitra Mohan, a 2002-batch IAS officer and serving Transport Secretary, assumed the new role immediately after the completion of vote counting on Monday. Officials confirmed that he had held the Transport portfolio for over three years and remained in the position even during administrative reshuffles carried out in the election period.
The appointment comes soon after R.N. Ravi took charge as Governor of West Bengal on March 12 at Lok Bhavan in Kolkata. According to sources, the Governor had sought the appointment of a secretary within a week of assuming office. However, the process was delayed following the announcement of election schedules soon after his swearing-in.
The post of Secretary to the Governor had remained vacant for a prolonged period. The last appointment to the position was that of IAS officer Nandini Chakraborty during the tenure of former Governor C.V. Anand Bose. Her tenure, however, was brief, as she was removed from the role shortly after her appointment.
Sources indicate that her removal was linked to perceptions regarding political affiliations, following which she was reassigned within the state administration. She later went on to serve as Home Secretary and subsequently rose to the position of Chief Secretary.
In February 2023, Anand Bose had removed her from the post of Principal Secretary, after which no IAS officer was appointed to the Governor’s Secretariat. With Soumitra Mohan’s appointment, the position has been filled after nearly three years, restoring a key administrative link within the Raj Bhavan.
The development comes against the backdrop of a significant political shift in West Bengal, where the Bharatiya Janata Party has assumed power, ending the tenure of the Trinamool Congress government. The timing of the bureaucratic appointment reflects the beginning of administrative realignments following the electoral outcome.
Earlier on Tuesday, Governor R.N. Ravi, accompanied by his wife Laxmi Ravi, visited the Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata. The Governor offered prayers for the welfare of the people and the overall progress of the state.
The sequence of developments highlights the transition phase in West Bengal, where political change is being followed by administrative restructuring. The appointment of a new Secretary to the Governor is seen as an early step in aligning governance mechanisms with the evolving political landscape.
As the new government prepares to assume full administrative control, further changes at the bureaucratic level are expected in the coming days.
