First bureaucratic transfer after Bengal power change: Governor RN Ravi gets new Secretary
The Statesman | 6 May 2026
A day after a dramatic political shift in West Bengal that saw the BJP come to power, the first major bureaucratic reshuffle has taken place, signalling the beginning of administrative changes under the new dispensation. In a key move, Governor RN Ravi has been assigned a new secretary, marking the earliest official transfer following the Assembly election results.
Senior IAS officer Soumitra Mohan, a 2002-batch officer who had been serving as the state’s Transport Secretary for over three years, has now been appointed as Secretary to the Governor, officials confirmed on Tuesday. Notably, he had retained his position in the Transport Department through the election period despite several administrative changes elsewhere.
As per reports, the appointment was finalised soon after counting concluded on Monday, indicating a swift administrative response following the change in political leadership.
Governor Ravi, who took oath at Lok Bhavan in Kolkata on March 12, had reportedly sought the appointment of a secretary within a week of assuming office. However, the process was delayed as the state entered the election cycle soon after, with the notification for the Assembly polls putting administrative decisions on hold.
The position of Secretary to the Governor had remained vacant for nearly three years. The last officer to hold a similar role was IAS officer Nandini Chakraborty, who served under former Governor CV Ananda Bose.
Her tenure, however, was short-lived. She was removed from the post within days amid internal concerns and perceptions about her proximity to the then ruling establishment. Following her removal in February 2023, no IAS officer was appointed to the role, leaving the position unfilled until now.
Chakraborty later went on to hold key positions in the state administration, eventually serving as Home Secretary and rising to the post of Chief Secretary.
The appointment comes against the backdrop of a sweeping political change in the state. On Monday, the BJP unseated the Trinamool Congress government, ending its tenure and reshaping the state’s political landscape.
With the new government set to take charge, more administrative reshuffles are expected in the coming days as the bureaucracy aligns with the new leadership. The appointment of a Secretary to the Governor is being seen as the first step in that broader transition.