Neelam Meena becomes new CEO of West Bengal
The 1998-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre is replacing Manoj Kumar Agarwal, who was earlier appointed as the state's new Chief Secretary.
The Election Commission of India has issued directions to the West Bengal government regarding the transfer and posting of senior police officers ahead of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Elections 2026. A key directive is that officers removed from their current positions will not be assigned any election-related duties until the conclusion of the elections.
The poll body emphasised that the officers transferred out shall not be posted in any poll-related positions until the completion of the assembly elections, underscoring the poll body’s commitment to ensuring neutrality and fair conduct of the elections. The Commission stated that the poll preparedness review had prompted these postings.
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The transfer orders follow the announcement of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 schedule by the ECI on 15 March 2026. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, in his press conference to announce the election dates on Sunday, assured that elections in West Bengal would be violence-free and peaceful.
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Elections in West Bengal are scheduled to be held in two phases on April 23 and 29. Counting will be held on May 4.
Who replaces whom?
In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal, the Commission announced the replacement of key police officers in West Bengal, including the acting Director General of Police (DGP) Peeyush Pandey and Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar. Both Pandey and Sarkar were appointed on January 30.
Siddh Nath Gupta, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1992 batch, has been made the new DGP, replacing acting DGP Pandey. Similarly, Ajay Kumar Nand, a 1996-batch IPS officer, had been made the new Commissioner of Kolkata Police, in place of Sarkar.
Director General, Law & Order, Vineet Kumar Goyal, had also been removed and replaced by Ajay Mukud Ranade, a 1995-batch IPS officer, but as Additional Director General, Law & Order.
Goyal is a former Kolkata Police Commissioner, who was removed from the post soon after his name was dragged into controversy after the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata within the hospital premises in August 2024.
The EC also ordered the posting of Natarajan Ramesh Babu, a 1991-batch IPS officer, as the Director General, Correctional Services. Also, Ajay Mukund Ranade (IPS 1995) has been posted as ADG & IGP (Law & Order), West Bengal.
The Commission has directed that these transfers be implemented with immediate effect, and a compliance report confirming the joining of the officers must be submitted by 3:00 PM on March 16, 2026. A copy of the letter was also sent to the state’s Chief Electoral Officer as well.
Yesterday, the EC had ordered the transfers of Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakraborty, and Home Secretary, Jagdish Prasad Meena, and that both will not be involved in any kind of election-related duty.
Dushyant Nariala (IAS-1993) has been appointed as Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal, and Sanghamitra Ghosh (IAS-1997) as Principal Secretary, Home & Hill Affairs. While Dushyant Nariala replaced Chakraborty, Shanghamitra Ghosh replaced Meena.
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