Two of those looking to leave--environment secretary M.L. Meena and commerce and industry secretary Sabyasachi Sen--are vying for the chairman's post at Kolkata Port Trust, which fell vacant after Anup Chanda's term ended on 24 June.
The two additional chief secretaries looking to leave the state government are Sunil Mitra and Sumantra Choudhury, who are also principal secretaries in the power and transport departments, respectively. Both have obtained clearances from Writers Buildings, and are likely joining the Union government, said Haque.

Others looking to leave are Sumanta Chaudhuri, principal secretary in the department of public enterprises; Rajiva Sinha, who heads the department for food processing industries and horticulture; and M.V. Rao, former managing director of West Bengal Industrial Development Corp. Ltd (WBIDC), who is the principal secretary in the department for animal resources development.

Even P.R. Baviskar, an officer from the 1985 batch who is the chief executive of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, has applied for two-year study leave. His leaving means the urban development department will be losing its two most important officers, including Pradhan.
But others tried to play down the difficulties faced by bureaucrats working in Kolkata.

"I don't want to add to the controversy... I have only two years to retire," said Mitra. "It's a personal decision (to move to New Delhi). I was empanelled to join the Central government a year ago."
"I think West Bengal offers a lot of challenges, and IAS officers are still willing to take that challenge," added Mitra, who is also the president of the Indian Administrative Service Association, West Bengal.

"All IAS officers aspire to work with the Union government," said Sen, who with Rao shot to the limelight thanks to the state government's drive for industrialization.

Rao, initially the director of industry, was appointed managing director of WBIDC after he played a key role in land acquisition in Singur, where Tata Motors Ltd was to set up a small-car factory. But after the company pulled the plug on the project, Rao was replaced.

"It's natural for IAS officers to move to Delhi after spending some years with a state government," said Chaudhuri, who heads the public enterprises department and has been struggling to restructure state-owned companies.

"Transfers are a routine thing," said Meena, who has been facing criticism for taking too long to grant clearances to industrial projects. "But people are talking about it this time because even officers who were considered close to the state government are looking to leave," he added.
Bureaucrats in Kolkata have been facing flak from politicians after the Left's 20-seat loss in the 15th general election.