Choten Dhendup Lama IAS additional charge as Principal Secretary- Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs Dept, West Bengal
Smt. Choten Dhendup Lama IAS (West Bengal 1999) presently Principal Secretary- Tribal Development Department has been given the additional charge of Principal Secretary- Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs Department, West Bengal.
Smt. Choten Dhendup Lama, IAS is a senior Indian Administrative Service officer of the West Bengal cadre, whose career reflects steady progression through some of the most complex and people-centric sectors of governance. With a professional journey spanning more than two decades, she has combined field administration, policy formulation, and institutional leadership with a calm, methodical approach that has earned her wide professional regard within the Indian Bureaucracy.
An academic background in Law (LL.B., Second Class) and English (Graduate, Second Class) has provided her with both legal clarity and strong communication skills—qualities that have repeatedly surfaced in her handling of sensitive administrative assignments. From district administration to social sector leadership, her work reflects a consistent emphasis on systems, compliance, and service delivery rather than headline-driven governance.
Currently, Smt. Lama serves as Principal Secretary, Tribal Development Department, Government of West Bengal, a role that places her at the centre of policy initiatives concerning tribal welfare, social justice, and empowerment. In this capacity, she oversees programmes aimed at improving livelihoods, education, healthcare access, and socio-economic inclusion of tribal communities. Her approach has been marked by coordination with line departments and district administrations, ensuring that welfare schemes translate effectively from policy to practice. In addition, she holds additional charge as Principal Secretary, North Bengal Development Department, reflecting the confidence reposed in her administrative judgment for region-specific development planning.
Prior to her current role, she served as Secretary, Tribal Development Department (2022–2023), where she gained hands-on experience in designing and monitoring targeted interventions for vulnerable communities. Her earlier tenure as Secretary, Panchayat & Rural Development Department (2018–2022) placed her at the heart of grassroots governance. During this period, she was associated with rural infrastructure development, decentralised planning, and strengthening of Panchayati Raj institutions—areas that require sustained coordination rather than quick administrative fixes.
Her contributions to the health sector are particularly notable. As Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and later State Rural Health Mission, she handled one of the most operationally demanding portfolios in the state administration. Managing public health delivery across rural and semi-urban areas, she dealt with issues of manpower, infrastructure, and service outreach, demonstrating an ability to work across departments and respond to field realities. These roles demanded not only administrative competence but also sensitivity to public needs—qualities she displayed without unnecessary visibility.
Smt. Lama has also served extensively in the education sector, holding positions such as Commissioner and Director, School Education Department, and State Project Director, District Primary Education Programme (DPEP). Her long association with school education allowed her to engage with foundational learning systems, teacher deployment, and programme implementation at scale. These assignments added depth to her understanding of human resource development, particularly at the primary and secondary levels.
Earlier in her career, she held diverse and challenging roles including District Magistrate, Purba Medinipur, Managing Director, West Bengal Financial Corporation, Director, Mines & Minerals Department, and Joint Secretary, Food & Supplies Department. Each of these postings required different administrative lenses—ranging from district-level crisis management to financial oversight and regulatory administration. Her experience as Consultant with UNDP under the Disaster Risk Management Programme further broadened her exposure, giving her insight into international best practices and project-based governance.
At the field level, postings as Additional District Magistrate, Murshidabad, Sub-Divisional Officer, and Executive Magistrate helped ground her administrative style in firsthand understanding of land revenue management, law and order, and citizen-facing service delivery. This early exposure continues to inform her decision-making in senior policy roles.
Overall, Smt. Choten Dhendup Lama, IAS, represents a blend of administrative continuity, sectoral depth, and understated leadership. Her career does not rely on dramatic interventions but on sustained institutional work across departments that quietly strengthen governance outcomes. As reflected in Latest Indian Bureaucracy News and administrative records documented by indianbureaucracy.com, her trajectory underscores the value of experience-driven leadership in contemporary public administration.
Indian Bureaucracy News wishes Smt. Choten Dhendup Lama the very best.