Nandini Chakravorty, a 1994-batch IAS officer, took over as Bengal home secretary on Sunday from the incumbent B.P. Gopalika, who was promoted to chief secretary with H.K. Dwivedi retiring.

The elevation of Chakravorty, principal secretary (tourism), to the second-most coveted post in the state administration came as a surprise to administrative as well as political circles, since she has superseded several senior officers.

Usually, in Bengal, one of the senior-most IAS officers from the rank of additional chief secretary is appointed home secretary.

“Nandini is considered a relatively junior officer, and is from the principal secretary rank. The last time a principal secretary was appointed home secretary was in 2017, when Atri Bhattacharya was elevated to the post,” a senior bureaucrat said.

The senior bureaucrat said: “So, Nandini’s appointment is a bit surprising, although there is no hard and fast rule that the second senior-most IAS officer in the state has to be appointed home secretary.”

Sources said Chakravorty’s appointment marks a tremendous comeback by the bureaucrat, who was once appointed the state gazetteer, an insignificant posting considered the worst possible for an IAS officer in the state.

The geography postgraduate never had a smooth career. She was considered one of chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s preferred civil servants after the Trinamul Congress came to power in May 2011 and was appointed MD of the state industrial development corporation in July 2011.

In November 2012, she was elevated to secretary in the information and cultural affairs department, deemed a very important department in the Trinamul era (as Mamata is the minister-in-charge).

But her career nosedived within months: she was sent to the state gazetteers department as editor in February 2013. “The reason for that punishment posting remains unknown. She again shot to the limelight when she was made secretary to the governor in August 2022,” a bureaucrat said.

Chakravorty made headlines when governor C.V. Ananda Bose relieved her of her responsibilities at the Raj Bhavan in February 2023.

With Raj Bhavan sources hinting she had been removed for “misleading the governor”, Nabanna — engaged in a power struggle with Bose — brought her closer to the higher rungs of the administration, sources in the civil service said.

“She was given charge of tourism, an important department in this government’s scheme of things. Now, her elevation as home secretary has stunned many in the administration,” a source said.

Some officials said the appointment of a considerably junior officer as home secretary was inevitable since Rajeev Kumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer, has been given charge as director-general of police.

While, technically, the home secretary enjoys a higher status than the DGP, Kumar is seen as close to Nabanna.

“It’s clear that Rajeev Kumar will run the show in terms of policing in the state. If an officer from the rank of additional chief secretary were made home secretary, clashes between the DGP and the home secretary could happen,” a bureaucrat said.

“But appointing a junior officer from the rank of home secretary would minimise the chances of conflict.”

Other sources bore this out, saying Nabanna expected Chakravorty not to question any measures taken by the DGP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

“This is because she is well aware of what a punishment posting could mean,” a source said. Chakravorty will continue to hold charge of the tourism department. She will also function as principal secretary, parliamentary affairs.

Dwivedi

The retired chief secretary has been appointed chief adviser (finance) to the chief minister for three years. Former chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay has been working as chief adviser to the chief minister since June 2021.