Mr. Manoj Kumar Agarwal, a 1990-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, has been appointed as the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal. In this capacity, he will not hold any additional responsibilities under the West Bengal government, except for his designation as Additional Chief Secretary in charge of the Election Department at the State Secretariat.
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Mr. Agarwal began his administrative career in 1990 as a trainee officer and has since held various key positions. His early postings included serving as Additional District Magistrate in Bardhaman (1991-1992) and Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) in Bardhaman (1992-1994). He later took on roles as Additional District Magistrate in Purulia (1994-1997) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in Jalpaiguri (1997-1999).
He subsequently served as District Magistrate in North Dinajpur (1999-2001) and Bardhaman (2001-2003) before moving to the central government, where he held positions such as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training (2003-2004) and Private Secretary in the Ministries of Water Resources (2004-2005) and Information & Broadcasting (2005-2009).
Mr. Agarwal’s tenure also included serving as Commissioner (Land Disposal) at the Delhi Development Authority (2009-2010) before returning to West Bengal. He took up leadership roles in the Technical Education & Training Department (2010-2012), Mass Education Extension Department (2011-2012), and Urban Development Department (2012-2014). He later became Principal Secretary in the Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department (2014-2017).
From 2017 to 2020, he was Principal Secretary & Commissioner in the Food & Supplies Department. He subsequently held senior positions in the Fire & Emergency Services Department (2020-2024) and most recently served as Additional Chief Secretary in the Forest Department (since June 2024) before assuming his current role.
With a distinguished career spanning multiple sectors, Mr. Agarwal has demonstrated exceptional leadership, administrative efficiency, and commitment to public service. His experience in governance, ranging from land revenue management and urban development to education and emergency services, underscores his versatility. As he takes on the crucial responsibility of overseeing electoral administration in West Bengal, his expertise is expected to play a pivotal role in ensuring fair and transparent elections in the state.
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