Kolkata: The EC on Sunday ordered one of its largest single-day reshuffles, transferring 173 police officers — including 31 from Kolkata police stations — and 83 BDOs, who also act as assistant returning officers. The OCs of Bhowanipore and Nandigram Police Stations were also shifted.The exercise comes amid ongoing Calcutta HC hearings on a PIL challenging an earlier mass transfer of 60 senior IAS and IPS officers, including the chief secretary, home secretary and DGP.In Kolkata, STF inspector Soumitra Basu is the new Bhowanipore OC. The new Park Street OC will be Nirupam Nath, and the OC for Jorasanko will be Susanta Mondal. Both Nath and Mondal have been drafted from the detective department. Officers at the Alipore, Garden Reach, Entally, Gariahat, Bowbazar and New Market Police Stations have also been changed. Two new officers have been directed to take charge of the Bhangar and Polerhat police stations.In the West Bengal Police, 142 officers were transferred to new postings as IC or OC. Nine of these transfers were made in East Midnapore, and inspector Subhobrata Nath was directed to take charge of the Nandigram PS.Earlier, the EC transferred 83 BDOs across 15 districts in Bengal. CEO Manoj Agarwal proposed the transfer of 84 BDOs. the EC approved 83, rejecting only the proposed transfer of the Suri-I BDO.East Midnapore saw the highest number of changes with 13 transfers, including both Nandigram blocks, followed by South 24 Parganas with 11 and North 24 Parganas with eight. In Nandigram I, the EC has appointed Sanjoy Sikdar. Nandigram II has been assigned to Debottam Sarkar.The transfers come hours ahead of the HC’s scheduled resumption of the transfer case hearings on Monday.
