Kolkata: The West Bengal government has carried out a major bureaucratic reshuffle, transferring and posting 21 IAS officers across key departments, municipal bodies and district administration. The changes, notified on July 15, 2026, include significant appointments in the Health & Family Welfare Department, National Health Mission (NHM), Self Help Group & Self Employment Department, Fisheries, MSME, Jal Jeevan Mission, Higher Education and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
Among the prominent appointments, Dr Archana (IAS:2002:WB) has been appointed as Secretary, Self Help Group & Self Employment Department, while Kaushik Bhattacharya (IAS:2009:WB) has been entrusted with the crucial dual responsibility of Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM) and Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department.
Key Departments Get New Leadership
The reshuffle affects several important departments that oversee public health, livelihoods, urban infrastructure, education, fisheries, tribal development and land administration.
Kaushik Bhattacharya, who was serving as Excise Commissioner and Managing Director of the West Bengal State Beverages Corporation, has been moved to lead the state’s National Health Mission while also taking charge as Secretary of the Health & Family Welfare Department.
Meanwhile, Dr Archana, who was serving as Secretary, Animal Resources Development Department, has been transferred to head the Self Help Group & Self Employment Department, a department central to the state’s rural livelihood and women’s empowerment initiatives.
Changes Across MSME, Fisheries and Infrastructure
Several senior IAS officers have been assigned new responsibilities across economic and infrastructure-related departments.
Sujay Sarkar (IAS:2010:WB) has been posted as Managing Director, Tantuj, with additional charge as Secretary, MSME & Textiles Department.
Nandini Ghosh (IAS:2010:WB) has been shifted from the Urban Development & Municipal Affairs Department to become Secretary, Fisheries Department, while also holding additional charge as Managing Director, BENFISH.
Vibhu Goel (IAS:2012:WB) will continue as State Project Director, Samagra Siksha Mission while additionally serving as Managing Director, WBHIDCO.
Rajarshi Mitra (IAS:2012:WB) has been transferred from WBHIDCO to become Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Mission and Senior Special Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department.
Education, Tribal Development and GTA See Fresh Appointments
The government has also reassigned several officers in education, tribal affairs and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
Chaitali Chakrabarti (IAS:2012:WB) moves to the Technical Education, Training & Skill Development Department as Senior Special Secretary.
Utpal Bhadra (IAS:2012:WB) has been posted as Senior Special Secretary, Tribal Development Department.
Shama Parveen (IAS:2013:WB) has been transferred to the Fire & Emergency Services Department as Senior Special Secretary.
Hindole Datta (IAS:2014:WB) has been posted as Special Commissioner, Higher Education Department.
Smrutiranjan Mohanty (IAS:2015:WB) has been appointed Principal Secretary, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
Land Administration and Health Sector Reorganised
The reshuffle also includes important changes in land administration and healthcare.
Vaibhav Chaudhary (IAS:2016:WB) has been assigned multiple responsibilities as:
- Director of Land Records & Surveys, West Bengal
- Special Secretary, Land & Land Reforms & Refugee Relief & Rehabilitation Department
- Special Secretary, Cooperation Department for coordinating projects with the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India
- Prashant Raj Shukla (IAS:2017:WB) has been appointed Managing Director, West Bengal Medical Services Corporation Limited (WBMSCL) and Special Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department.
- Ravi Prakash Meena (IAS:2017:WB) has been posted as Secretary, Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).
District Administration Also Witnesses Transfers
The government has also transferred several district-level officers.
Shekhar Kumar Chaudhary (IAS:2018:WB) will continue as ADM, Howrah, while additionally serving as Joint Secretary, Land & Land Reforms and Refugee Relief & Rehabilitation Department.
Dileep Mishra (IAS:2019:WB) has been appointed Commissioner, Asansol Municipal Corporation.
Among the younger officers, several Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) have also been shifted:
- Ankita Agarwal (IAS:2022:WB): SDO, Islampur → SDO, Durgapur
- Madhusree (IAS:2023:WB): SDO, Hooghly Sadar → SDO, Kandi
- Ravi Kumar Meena (IAS:2023:WB): SDO, Alipur Sadar → SDO, Serampore
- Rushali Kler (IAS:2023:WB): SDO, Malda Sadar → SDO, Islampur
- Bhuvana Pranith Pappula (IAS:2023:WB): SDO, Barasat Sadar → SDO, Kharagpur
Complete List of IAS Transfers
- Dr Archana (IAS:2002:WB) – Secretary, Animal Resources Development → Secretary, Self Help Group & Self Employment Department.
- Kaushik Bhattacharya (IAS:2009:WB) – Excise Commissioner & MD, WB State Beverages Corporation → Mission Director, NHM and Secretary, Health & Family Welfare.
- Sujay Sarkar (IAS:2010:WB) – Commissioner, Textiles & Sericulture → MD, Tantuj with additional charge of Secretary, MSME&T.
- Nandini Ghosh (IAS:2010:WB) – Secretary, Urban Development → Secretary, Fisheries with additional charge of MD, BENFISH.
- Vibhu Goel (IAS:2012:WB) – Additional charge as MD, WBHIDCO.
- Rajarshi Mitra (IAS:2012:WB) – MD, WBHIDCO → Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Mission.
- Chaitali Chakrabarti (IAS:2012:WB) – Health → Technical Education.
- Utpal Bhadra (IAS:2012:WB) – Fire & Emergency Services → Tribal Development.
- Shama Parveen (IAS:2013:WB) – North Bengal Development → Fire & Emergency Services.
- Hindole Datta (IAS:2014:WB) – Posted as Special Commissioner, Higher Education.
- Smrutiranjan Mohanty (IAS:2015:WB) – Posted as Principal Secretary, GTA.
- Vaibhav Chaudhary (IAS:2016:WB) – Posted as Director, Land Records & Surveys with additional responsibilities.
- Prashant Raj Shukla (IAS:2017:WB) – Posted as MD, WBMSCL and Special Secretary, Health.
- Ravi Prakash Meena (IAS:2017:WB) – Posted as Secretary, KMDA.
- Shekhar Kumar Chaudhary (IAS:2018:WB) – Additional charge as Joint Secretary, Land & Land Reforms.
- Dileep Mishra (IAS:2019:WB) – Appointed Commissioner, Asansol Municipal Corporation.
- Ankita Agarwal (IAS:2022:WB) – Posted as SDO, Durgapur.
- Madhusree (IAS:2023:WB) – Posted as SDO, Kandi.
- Ravi Kumar Meena (IAS:2023:WB) – Posted as SDO, Serampore.
- Rushali Kler (IAS:2023:WB) – Posted as SDO, Islampur.
- Bhuvana Pranith Pappula (IAS:2023:WB) – Posted as SDO, Kharagpur.
