KOLKATA – In a major administrative shake-up ahead of the formation of a new BJP-led government in West Bengal, the state bureaucracy has barred all retired officials appointed by the outgoing Mamata Banerjee administration from entering government offices.
The directive, issued by Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala, mandates that retired officers currently serving in various departments across the state secretariat must cease work immediately. The freeze on their entry will remain in effect until the new cabinet is sworn in and assumes charge.
According to sources at Lok Bhavan, several retired officials who were serving as advisors or OSDs (Officers on Special Duty) in key departments have already tendered their resignations and begun vacating government-provided accommodations. The Chief Secretary has further instructed all department secretaries to ensure the absolute security of official files, strictly prohibiting the movement of any sensitive documents outside departmental premises during this transitional period.
The administrative cleanup follows the Bharatiya Janata Party’s landslide victory in the state assembly elections, where it secured 207 of the 294 seats, ending the 15-year tenure of the Trinamool Congress, which was reduced to just 80 seats. The move is being seen as a precursor to a wider bureaucratic overhaul as the incoming administration prepares to take the reins in Kolkata.
