Bengal govt to reinstate most officers transferred by ECI during or before LS polls

Kolkata: The West Bengal government will soon reinstate the administrative and police officers who were transferred by the Election Commission of India (ECI) during or before the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections.

Sources in the state Cabinet said that at the administrative level, several officials ranging from block development officers to district magistrates were transferred by the poll panel, who will now be reinstated in their original positions.

Similarly, police officers ranging from inspectors to DIGs who were transferred during the elections will also be reinstated.

“However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will take a call on whether the earlier acting DGP, Rajeev Kumar, will be reinstated in his position. An administrative review meeting will be held on June 11 which will be chaired by the Chief Minister and attended by all state ministers, department secretaries, district magistrates, police commissioners, and district police superintendents.

"The formal Cabinet decision for reinstating the officers will announced after the meeting,” said a senior member of the state Cabinet who did not wish to be named.

He added that at the review meeting, Chief Minister Banerjee will also take stock of the pending government projects whose progress was halted because of the administrative engagements related to the Lok Sabha elections.