Nandini Chakravorty's bureaucratic career comes a full circle: WBIDC chief to Bengal's first woman chief secretary

Nandini Chakravorty appointed West Bengal’s chief secretary

• Nandini Chakravorty appointed as West Bengal's first woman Chief Secretary
• Manoj Pant appointed Principal Secretary to CM Mamata Banerjee
• Chakravorty superseded six senior IAS officers for the chief secretary post

Did our AI summary help?

The West Bengal government on Wednesday appointed Nandini Chakravorty as new Chief Secretary and outgoing Chief Secretary Manoj Pant as personal secretary to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Chakraborty, who was the home secretary, along with additional responsibilities of parliamentary affairs and tourism departments, would be the first woman chief secretary of Bengal.

A section of bureaucrats, reportedly said chief sent a message by appointing Chakravorty as chief secretary even though she superseded at least six IAS officers who were senior to her.

Over the course of her career, she has served as Home Secretary, Tourism Secretary, and Principal Secretary to the Governor. Her administrative experience spans multiple sectors, including industry, culture, and governance, and includes stints in the Ministry of Personnel as well as postings as a District Magistrate. Meanwhile, Manoj Pant has been appointed as Principal Secretary to Chief Minister.

The Indian Express, citing sources said, Chakravorty was very close to the previous Left Front regime and headed the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) during the 2007-2008 land acquisition agitation in Singur and Nandigram that was led by Mamata Banerjee.

After the TMC came to power in 2011 and Mamata Banerjee became the chief minister, Nandini Chakravorty continued to remain as the WBIDC chief. She was also given the additional charge of the Information and Culture Department. Sources said she soon fell out of the CM’s favour and was sidelined as the editor of state gazetteer.

After heading several departments, she was made Secretary to the Governor. “She was also involved in a tussle with Governor CV Ananda Bose and was removed. However, Chakarvorty’s tiff with Governor Bose brought her back into the government’s good book, and she was made in charge of the Industry Department,” the same publication reported citing a senior official.In 2024, she was appointed state Home Secretary.

Meanwhile, Manoj Pant, the former chief secretary, was appointed as the principal secretary to the chief minister, who will hold the rank of chief secretary. Even though Pant was made the principal secretary to the chief minister, there was no word on the position of Goutam Sanyal, the incumbent.