Kolkata: Forty-eight hours after being relieved as the special observer by the Election Commission (EC) on May 7, retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Subrata Gupta was appointed adviser to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday. The appointment order was issued within hours of Adhikari taking the oath of office at a ceremony held at the Brigade Parade Grounds.
Key Appointments in the New Government
The state government also appointed IAS officer Shantanu Bala as the chief minister's private secretary. Bala, a 2017-batch IAS officer, previously served as additional district magistrate of South 24 Parganas. The notification regarding Gupta's appointment, issued from the state secretariat Nabanna, stated that the appointment was made "in the interest of public service" and would remain effective until further orders.
Chief Minister's Statement on Gupta's Appointment
Commenting on Gupta's appointment, Chief Minister Adhikari said, "In the earlier government, efficient and impartial officers were not given any work and had to leave the state for central deputation. We want to give these efficient officers a chance to work for the people. We want to bring back these officers."
Gupta's Role in the Election Process
Gupta was earlier appointed by the EC as a special roll observer during the Special Identity Register (SIR) exercise. Following the EC's reported satisfaction with his role during the SIR, he was later entrusted with responsibilities as a special observer for the assembly election. The 2026 assembly election was largely peaceful, with no reported deaths during the election process and no major allegations of booth capturing or large-scale electoral violence.
Election officials and political observers credited the smooth conduct of polling to the EC's strict monitoring mechanism. Administrative circles also acknowledged the role played by Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal and Gupta in ensuring peaceful elections.
Meeting Between Adhikari and Gupta
Sources said Adhikari met Gupta after the completion of the election process and held extensive talks with him. During the meeting, Adhikari offered him the position of adviser, sources added.
Gupta's Background and Career
Gupta holds a PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. He served as the District Magistrate of Jalpaiguri and Burdwan. He also served as an executive director and later as Managing Director of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) from 2007 to 2011, a period marked by Tata Motors' unceremonious exit from Singur.
