Rajiv Kumar removed from IT Dept, Anup Agarwal takes charge

The West Bengal government has carried out a fresh round of administrative reshuffles, not just at the IPS level, but also at the senior-most bureaucratic echelons. A number of secretaries from various departments have either been removed from their positions or assigned additional responsibilities, signaling a significant internal restructuring.

As per sources from the Information and Technology (IT) Department, IPS officer Rajeev Kumar has been relieved of his post as Secretary. The position, generally held by an IAS officer, will now be taken over by Anup Agarwal, starting Tuesday. Rajeev Kumar, who was appointed as Secretary of the department in 2019 while serving as ADG (CID), held the post for nearly five years.

This move marks a return to tradition within the state’s administrative structure, where cadre-specific posts like this one were usually reserved for IAS officers. Rajeev Kumar’s removal appears to be part of a broader effort to restore that framework.

Meanwhile, Hridesh Mohan, who was previously in charge of the General Education and Libraries Department, has been named the new Additional Chief Secretary of the Correctional Institutions Department. This change comes as part of a chain reshuffle affecting other key departments.

The responsibility for General Education and Libraries will now be transferred to IPS Rajesh Kumar, who was previously the Secretary of the Correctional Institutions Department. This effectively marks a direct swap between Hridesh Mohan and Rajesh Kumar.

Furthermore, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Technical Education Department has now been given the Information and Technology Department as an additional portfolio, indicating an increasing reliance on multitasking within the upper ranks of administration.