Manoj Pant, a 1991-batch IAS officer, was appointed the new chief secretary of Bengal on Saturday after the Centre did not allow another service extension to incumbent B.P. Gopalika.

Gopalika's extended tenure of three months — he was scheduled to retire on May 31 — ended on Saturday. Nabanna had sent a proposal to Delhi to extend his service by another three months, but this time, the Centre did not approve it.

“Nabanna waited till the last minute for the Centre's approval on Gopalika's extension request. When it did not come till 5pm on Saturday, the state government issued the order appointing Pant as the chief secretary,” said a source.

Pant was transferred from the finance department and sent to the irrigation and waterways department on Friday. His appointment as the chief secretary on Saturday surprised many in the administration.

“Many in the administration expected Vivek Kumar, a 1990-batch officer and the land and land reforms secretary, to be the next chief secretary. But in a dramatic turn of events, Pant was made the chief secretary. He superseded at least five officers in the 1989 and 1990 batches,” said a senior official adding that it was the chief minister's prerogative to appoint the chief secretary from the pool of additional chief secretaries.

Sources aware of the development said that Pant, known as an efficient officer, has been appointed at the helm of the administration at a time when the state government is facing a critical time amid the spate of protests over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

In the early days of his career, Pant worked as the district magistrate of Murshidabad and North 24-Parganas before he worked as the private secretary of the then Union finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, between 2009 and 2011.

Pant has also worked as a senior adviser in the World Bank for three years between 2011 and 2014. He used to look after the affairs of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Sri Lanka. He is known to have a good knowledge of political and economic activities in this part of the world.

Pant was empanelled for appointment to the rank of secretary in the government of India but the state government did not release him.

“Prior to the appointment as the chief secretary, he has worked as the secretary of important departments like land and land reforms and finance.... His experience could be used to run the administration efficiently at a time when the state is facing a crisis,” said a senior official.