Kolkata, May 11 Manoj Kumar Agarwal, (IAS, WB..1990) the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, was on Monday appointed as the state’s new Chief Secretary of Government of West Bengal, according to an official notification.
“The Governor is pleased to appoint Shri Manoj Kumar Agarwal, IAS (WB-1990), Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal and ex officio Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs (Election) Department, Government of West Bengal, as Chief Secretary of West Bengal until further orders. This is issued in the interest of public interest,” the notification issued by Rajesh Pandey, Additional Chief Secretary, Personnel & Administrative Reforms, stated.
Agarwal played a pivotal role during the recently concluded Assembly elections in the state and was regarded as a key figure among the administrative leadership, informally referred to as “The Three Musketeers.” The group also included poll observer Subrata Gupta and special police observer N.K. Mishra. The elections were noted for relatively peaceful polling compared to the state’s past record of electoral violence, along with a significant voter turnout.
A 1990-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the West Bengal cadre, Agarwal was the preferred candidate of the Election Commission of India from a panel of three names submitted by the state government.
Colleagues describe him as a composed and efficient administrator, known for handling complex situations with professionalism and transparency. His recommendations during the election process, including the conduct of polls in just two phases as opposed to the multiple phases in previous elections, were reportedly accepted by the Commission without significant alterations.
