New Appointments in West Bengal Government: Subrata Gupta and Shantanu Bala Take Key Roles

In a significant move, the West Bengal government has appointed retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta as an advisor to Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari. Alongside him, Shantanu Bala has been designated as the Chief Minister's private secretary. These appointments come as part of a broader restructuring following the recent assembly elections, aiming to enhance governance and policy coordination. Both officials are expected to take on their new roles immediately, marking a new chapter in the state's political landscape.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 10, 2026, 09:38 IST

Key Appointments in West Bengal Government

The West Bengal Chief Minister, Shubhendu Adhikari, has appointed retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Subrata Gupta as his advisor. This announcement was made through a notification released on Saturday.

According to the notification, Gupta, who belongs to the 1990 batch, was recently appointed by the Election Commission for a Special Intensive Review (SIR) ahead of the recently concluded assembly elections.

An official stated, “Gupta's extensive experience is expected to assist the new government in policy coordination and governance matters.”

In another notification, the new government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed IAS officer Shantanu Bala as the Chief Minister's private secretary. The notification indicated that Bala, from the 2017 batch, previously served as the Additional District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas.

Another official mentioned, “Bala's appointment is part of the restructuring of the Chief Minister's office following the change in government.”

Both officials have been instructed to assume their new responsibilities immediately. The government has also transferred 46 officers who were previously assigned as private secretaries and special officers (OSDs) during the Trinamool government, along with 16 officers stationed in the Chief Minister's office.