B.P. Gopalika to succeed H.K. Dwivedi as West Bengal Chief Secretary, Lok Sabha elections loom large
Mamata Banerjee appoints 1989-batch IAS officer despite BJP opposition; home secretary post remains open
On Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee notified the state cabinet that Bengal's chief secretary, B.P. Gopalika, an IAS officer from 1989 batch who is now the home secretary, will succeed H.K. Dwivedi when his term ends on December 31.
"During the Wednesday cabinet meeting, the chief minister announced that B. P. Gopalika would succeed him as the next chief secretary of state. We all praised him since he attended the cabinet meeting in his capacity as home secretary," a minister in attendance said.
Gopalika now has the responsibilities for the home department and the personnel and administrative reforms department. She had previously served as a secretary in the transport, animal resources development, and personnel and administrative reforms departments.
"He is reputed to be a perceptive police officer who can manage circumstances under pressure... For this reason, before to the Lok Sabha elections, the chief minister continued to have trust in him. Within a few months, in his capacity as chief secretary, he would have to lead the state's administrative branch by conducting the Lok Sabha elections," an official said.
If Gopalika does not get a six-month extension as Dwivedi did in June, he will serve as chief secretary till May 31, 2024.
According to BJP officials, Mamata was forced to choose Gopalika after the Center turned down her government's request for an additional six-month extension for Dwivedi.
"We voiced our strong opposition to the state's plan to provide the present chief secretary an additional term. "We are pleased that the Union government chose not to address the request for Dwivedi's additional extension," said Assembly Opposition Leader and BJP MLA for Nandigram, Suvendu Adhikari.
Adhikari said that the Centre has also turned down a request for Manoj Malaviya, the recently retired DGP, to be extended.
Who would be the home secretary for Bengal has been the subject of speculation. "Names of Manoj Pant, an IAS official from 1991, and Vivek Kumar, an officer from 1990, are making the rounds. However, there are rumors that the position might include a surprise appointment as well," the insider said.
Additionally, according to sources, the administration could prefer a much younger IAS official to be home secretary in order to avoid any ego clashes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, because Rajeev Kumar, an IPS officer from the 1989 batch, is the acting DGP.
