After taking oath as West Bengal Chief Minister on May 9, Suvendu Adhikari chaired his first Cabinet meeting on Monday and approved the transfer of land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for fencing the India-Bangladesh border and approved the implementation of Ayushman Bharat in the state. Six decisions were taken during the first cabinet meeting.
The newly elected chief minister said that the land would be handed over to the Ministry of Home Affairs within 45 days to address the issue of illegal infiltration. "In our very first Cabinet meeting today, we have taken the decision to transfer the land to the BSF. The process of transferring this land commences today. It will be transferred to the MHA within the next 45 days. Once this is accomplished, the BSF will complete the border fencing, and the ongoing issue of illegal infiltration will be resolved within a short period," Adhikari said.
Adhikari also announced that central welfare schemes, including Ayushman Bharat and Jan Arogya Yojana, would now be implemented in West Bengal. The process has begun to actively implement major Central Government schemes in the state, including Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishak Bima Yojana, PM SHRI, Vishwakarma Scheme, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Ujjwala Yojana. District Magistrates have been instructed to expedite the forwarding of all applications to the concerned Union Ministries.
According to the allocation announced, senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh has been assigned the Rural Development, Panchayats and Animal Resources Department, while Ashok Kirtania will handle the Food Department. Khudiram Tudu has been given charge of the Backward Class Welfare Department, and Agnimitra Paul will oversee the Women and Child Welfare Department. Nisith Pramanik has been entrusted with North Bengal Development along with the Sports and Youth Welfare portfolios. The distribution of portfolios comes after the formation of the new government in West Bengal, with the Chief Minister moving quickly to establish an administrative structure and assign responsibilities across key departments.
Earlier in the evening, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari held a meeting with the DM and BJP MLAs. The Chief Minister also assured that the Government stands firmly with their families and that strict action will be taken against those involved in political killings. Meanwhile, as part of administrative reforms, IAS officers in the state will now participate in Central Government training programmes in line with practices followed in other states, said the release. The Government has also decided to fully align West Bengal with the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The upper age limit for government job applications has been increased by five years to improve employment opportunities for educated youth.
The West Bengal government also issued an official announcement regarding the top-level bureaucratic change. According to the notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, the Governor has appointed Manoj Kumar Agarwal, IAS, as the Chief Secretary to the Government of West Bengal. "The Governor is pleased to appoint Shri Manoj Kumar Agarwal, IAS (WB:1990), Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal and ex officio Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs (Election) Department... as Chief Secretary to the Government of West Bengal until further order(s)," the official order dated May 11, 2026, stated. Earlier, a 1990-batch officer, IAS Manoj Kumar Agarwal served as Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) during the election.
The West Bengal government also ordered the immediate termination of all nominated members, directors, and chairpersons in non-statutory bodies, boards, and public sector undertakings (PSUs) of the state government. The directive also ended re-employment and extensions for officials serving beyond 60The services of the officials who are engaged by the government of West Bengal after their superannuation have also been terminated. The order reads, "I am directed to request you that necessary action to immediately terminate the tenures of the nominated Members/ Directors/ Chairpersons of different Boards, Organizations, non-statutory bodies and public sector undertakings of the State Government under your department may be taken from your end."
"I am further directed to state that the tenure of officers/officials who are on re-employment/ extension of service beyond the normal age of superannuation (60 years) in different Departments under the State Government may also be terminated immediately. This issues with the approval of the competent authority," the order stated.
The 2026 Assembly election results marked a decisive mandate for the BJP, registering a significant surge, winning 206 seats in the 294-member Assembly, a major shift in a state where it had earlier secured 77 seats in the previous election. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which had won 212 seats in the last Assembly polls, finished a distant second with 80 seats and is leading in one constituency
Adhikari on Saturday took oath as the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal. The oath of office was administered by Governor RN Ravi at a grand swearing-in ceremony in Kolkata attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers and senior BJP leaders. (ANI)
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