The West Bengal Government has extended the tenure of Chief Secretary Manoj Pant by 6 months, allowing the 1991-batch IAS officer to continue in office till December 31, 2025. The Centre on Monday approved the state’s decision, paving the way for Pant to remain at the helm of the state bureaucracy.
Pant, regarded as a close confidant of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has played a key administrative role in the state. With Assembly elections due next year, sources in the state secretariat indicated that the chief minister is keen to maintain continuity in the top bureaucratic post. “With the Assembly elections next year, the chief minister would not like to disturb the status quo. She would like to go into the elections with Pant leading the bureaucracy though that might be difficult,” a senior official said.
Manoj Pant, IAS
Throughout his career, Pant has held several significant positions. He served as district magistrate in Murshidabad and North 24-Parganas—two sensitive districts bordering Bangladesh. Between 2009 and 2011, he was private secretary to former Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. He also worked as a senior adviser at the World Bank from 2011 to 2014.
