Retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta was on Saturday (May 9, 2026) appointed the advisor to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, according to a notification.

Mr. Gupta, an officer of the 1990 batch, was engaged by the Election Commission of India (ECI) as the Special Roll Observer for the SIR exercise, held prior to the recently-concluded Assembly elections.

"Mr. Gupta's vast experience is expected to help the new administration in policy coordination and governance-related matters," an official said.

The new BJP government also appointed IAS officer Shantanu Bala as the chief minister's private secretary, according to another notification.

Mr. Bala, an officer of the 2017 batch, was the additional district magistrate of South 24 Parganas in his last assignment.

"Bala's appointment is part of the restructuring of the Chief Minister's Office following the change in government," another official said.

Both officers have been asked to take charge of their new assignments immediately, according to the notifications.