In a significant administrative move ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the West Bengal government has reshuffled key bureaucratic positions. Finance Secretary Prabhat Kumar Mishra has been given the additional charge of the Personnel and Administrative Reforms (P&AR) Department. This responsibility was previously handled by the State Home Secretary, Jagdish Prasad Meena (J.P. Meena). An official notification was issued by Nabanna on Wednesday to formalize the transition.

Administrative experts suggest that this shift is aimed at reducing the workload of the Home Secretary, who will be preoccupied with poll-related logistics and security. Traditionally, the Home Secretary holds the P&AR portfolio in the absence of a dedicated secretary. However, this time, the Election Commission has included 15 IAS and 10 IPS officers from the West Bengal cadre in its list of central observers, including J.P. Meena.

Despite requests from the state government to exempt certain top officials from observer duties, the Commission has maintained most names on the list. If the Home Secretary is required to serve as an observer in another state, Nabanna wants to ensure that the administrative flow remains uninterrupted, which is why Prabhat Kumar Mishra has been stepped up. Rumors within the corridors of power suggest that more reshuffles are on the horizon, particularly involving district magistrates and high-ranking police officials, as the state moves into a complete “election mode” before the final dates are announced.