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    Election Commission reshuffles top police officials in poll-bound West Bengal

    Synopsis

    The Election Commission has ordered the transfer of five IPS officers to new DIG positions in West Bengal. This move comes as the commission reviews poll preparedness for the upcoming assembly elections. The directives are effective immediately. This follows earlier transfers of top state officials and police chiefs.

    ET Bureau
    Kolkata: In another major bureaucratic and police reshuffle, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed five new DIGs of five ranges of the West Bengal Police and 13 new District Magistrates, who are also District Electoral Officers (DEOs), today.

    As per ECI order, Rathod Amitkumar Bharat has been appointed as the new DIG of the Raiganj Range. Amitkumar previously served as the DIG (Traffic) of the State Police. Ajit Singh Yadav has been appointed as the DIG of the Murshidabad Range. He previously served as the Superintendent of Police (SP) for the State Police's DEO wing. Srihari Pandey has been appointed as the DIG of the Bardhaman Range; Srihari previously served in the Intelligence Branch (IB) of North Bengal. Kankar Prasad Barui has been appointed as the DIG of the Presidency Range; Kankar Prasad previously served as the DIG (Prisons).

    Anjali Singh has been posted as the DIG of the Jalpaiguri Range. She previously served as the DIG (Traffic) of the State Police.


    All five newly appointed DIGs have been asked to join by 11 am March 19.

    Presently, before the replacement, Sudhir Kumar Neelakantam served by was the DIG of the Murshidabad Range. Bhaskar Mukherjee served as the DIG of the Presidency Range. Bholanath Pandey was the DIG of the Jalpaiguri Range. Nimbalkar Santosh Uttamrao was the DIG of the Raiganj Range. Alok Rajoria was the DIG of the Bardhaman Range.

    In a swift move after the model code of conduct came into effect in West Bengal, Election Commissions of India carried out major bureaucratic changes and replaced top administrative and police officials in West Bengal on Monday. Dushyant Nariala has been appointed chief secretary and Sanghamitra Ghosh as new home secretary. Chief secretary Nandini Chakraborty and home secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena have been replaced. ECI said that Chakraborty and Meena will not be involved in any kind of election-related duty.

    ECI has appointed Siddh Nath Gupta as new director general and IGP of West Bengal (in-charge), replacing Peeyush Pandey. Siddh Nath Gupta (a 1992-batch IPS officer) was serving as DG-correctional home.

    Similarly, Ajay Kumar Nand, a 1996-batch IPS officer, has been made the new commissioner of Kolkata Police, replacing Supratim Sarkar. Nand had served as commissioner of Barrackpore Commissionerate and played an important role in controlling Maoist movement in Jungalmahal area.

    Ajay Mukud Ranade, a 1995-batch IPS officer has been posted as ADG & IGP (law & order) and has replaced DG (law & order) Vineet Kumar Goyal. Ranade has served as Howrah Police commissioner earlier.

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